The Hazards of Waking Up
by Heero91
Summary: He'd been asleep for so long she'd forgotten who he was, if she'd ever known at all. But that changed and with him back in her life she had no choice but to deal with that. Sarada had been happy with her assumed family, siblings and a gentle mother and she wasn't about to give that up. You can't have your cake and eat it too, but you can always smash two cakes together. SasuHina
1. Chap 1 The Hazards of Running

Disclaimer; No, I do not own Naruto, the manga anime or the character. I own nothing.

Title; The Hazards of Waking up

Chapter One;

* * *

Three children sat around a small wooden table; one a blonde boy with two marks on either cheek reading from a comic book seeming quite absorbed, another a dark haired girl leaning on her knuckles and sneaking peeks over her thick rimmed glasses at the boy's comic and the final child a few years younger than the other two humming to herself.

"Did you do the homework?" asked the dark eyed girl drawing the attention of the boy across from her.

"More or less. Why, do you want to copy off me Sarada?" the boy's blue eyes lit up with a fiendish excitement as he teased the girl closing his comic book lightly.

"Hardly, Mister Umino just complains to me when you do your homework selectively." the girl returned back snidely, she might have added more if not for the clattering of the kitchen door drawing silence from the two older children but an excited shout from the youngest of the three.

"Okay guys, breakfast's up." announced the woman struggling with an impressive tray of four breakfasts as she navigated the doorway to the table. She had a stereotypical motherly air around her wearing no real make-up and keeping her hair tied back in a low ponytail at the base of her neck. She wore a plain lavender blouse buttoned up high and a pair of worn comfortable jeans.

"Thanks mommy." the youngest spoke up cheerfully chorused slightly later by the other two offering their own compliments in a much more subdued dawdling manner. It seemed to light up their mother's face though as she smiled brightly passing the plates out among her children before sitting down herself.

"You need help sweetie?" she asked of her youngest as the girl tried with some difficulty to cut some of her breakfast into smaller chunks. Before she could intervene any further though the blonde boy between them had taken it upon himself to help his sister instead.

"I can help Himawari mom." the blonde declared earning a small laugh from his mother as she watched anyway seeming to be enjoying seeing her son helping his sister, she still spared a glance at the third child though quietly nibbling on her own breakfast.

"Thank you Boruto but you need to-" the beginnings of her talk on how he too needed to eat and get ready for school were cut off as the phone erupted in a shrill ring causing the only adult at the table to jump and then blush heavily as the three children stared at her oddly. She laughed it off and excused herself.

"I don't like the egg." commented the youngest Himawari as her brother tried to coax the fussy eater into having some of it to little success. It was a battle that was unlikely to reach a conclusion any time soon though as one Uzumaki sat with a spoonful of scrambled egg raised and the other sat pouting at the spoon in a battle of wills.

"It's good for you...if you wanted to get big and tall." commented Sarada almost idly eating some of her own scrambled egg for emphasis, this immediately caught the younger girl's attention though as her head whipped around her white eyes blinking rapidly.

"R-really?" questioned the white eyed girl taking another less suspicious look at the egg her brother was still patiently trying to get her to eat. It was at this point that Hinata returned to the table her face shades paler than it was usually as she seemed to struggle to say something.

"Are you okay mom?" asked Sarada after a moment being the only one not enthralled in the egg debate going on among the other children. That seemed to break Hinata from her reprieve though as she turned to the girl almost teary eyed. Quick enough to almost startle the girl the older woman reached out to take the younger woman's hand.

"H-honey. The c-call just now, it was about your f-father...he's woken up." explained Hinata her mind shifting back and forth in debate on whether or not she should tell the girl immediately. She had to though, he was asking for his daughter, it was the only thing he was asking about actually they'd said. Demanding to see his daughter.

"Naruto's bragging about waking up now, what's his problem." snapped the single blonde at the table rolling his eyes but the others were all dreadfully quiet as a silence descended among them. Himawari didn't surprise Boruto, she always got quiet with any mention of their father, but the complete silence otherwise was strange.

"She means my dad Boruto, my dad's woken up." Sarada explained quietly having understood what was happening almost from the look in her foster mother's eyes alone. It had been something she'd been thinking about for a long time, at first for a long time in hopes of him waking up and coming for her and later in worry that he'd do exactly the same thing and take her away from her new family.

"Yes sweetie, he's woken up and he's asking for you. We can, I'll call the school for you today." she was distinctly aware she was rambling and despite herself Hinata cursed out a list of names in her mind. Firstly the doctor that hadn't bothered to call her until Sasuke Uchiha was recovered and almost ready for release looking for his daughter and secondly her estranged husband who they had called as soon as the man had up awoken but who had not found the time to let her know about it.

Her biological children had gone quiet at the revelation though especially Boruto who looked like he'd been slapped, maybe he regretted his joke but Hinata would have to worry about him later.

"Today, I have to go see him today?" asked the girl sharply pulling back from the older woman almost stepping out of her chair. No one seemed too keen on their breakfast's at this point though.

"No, no honey. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do okay." she'd had to make the first move, just like she would for her son climbing out of her chair and keeping hunkered down to allow the girl easier access for a hug. She took the offer awkwardly at first and Hinata privately missed when all three children were still young enough to cuddle without care. The woman also regretted what she was going to do next.

"But your father's been awake for a while and they said he's been asking for you honey." she told the small girl knowing she was guilt tripping her. But she had to take her to see her father, legally speaking Naruto was technically the girl's guardian if he were here maybe. No even then it would be wrong to refuse.

"Is he going to take Sarada away?" asked Boruto quietly after a moment his features schooled in a serious expression that reminded his mother eerily of the boy's father. The question hadn't helped the room at all though as the young Uchiha in her arms pulled back her eyes wide and frightened like she was coming awake into a nightmare and Himawari began to cry shakily sensing her siblings distress. The small girl tumbled out of her own seat grabbing onto her mother and the older girl too.

"Aw no no. We're just going to see him honey that's all." the former Hyuuga woman comforted her children shushing their worries and assuring them that they would still be a family no matter what happened next.

She'd be lying it she said she wasn't worried though.

* * *

The room they were in had the bare clinical feel enjoyed by every hospital room, stuffy and chemically clean. An older woman with white eyes stood feeling out of place but only half as much the girl she was accompanying, the young girl couldn't help examining the few photographs spread on the bedside cabinet. There were only three people in all of the pictures. A dark haired boy she instantly recognized as her father if only for the uncanny resemblance between them, another blonde boy that was almost a duplicate of Boruto and an angry looking girl with pink hair that always seemed to be between the two.

She wondered who put the pictures up.

"Did we used to go see him?" asked Sarada after a moment or two of observing the photo's someone had set up to comfort her father when he woke up, though whoever they were they hadn't put any photos of her up. She wondered what that meant.

"Yes, at first, I took you on his birthday but..." Hinata trailed off slightly as the girl spoke up holding another of the pictures carefully, it showed her husband and the girl's father in an awkward half hug.

"I remember. It gave me nightmares didn't it? I remember crying a lot after." spoke the girl looking at the bed that had for the last nine years cradled her comatose father, or maybe it wasn't the same bed. It probably wasn't but it was at least in the same place.

It wasn't even warm when she touched the sheets.

"I thought we'd wait until you were older before trying again...I didn't think-" the white eyed woman managed to stop herself before she could voice that she'd feared Sasuke Uchiha was dead to the world and never waking up. Even with him awake now it seemed like an incredibly poor thing to say.

"Did you ever think of pulling the plug?" asked the dark toned girl peering at her informally adopted mother who looked quite taken aback and outright shocked at what the girl was asking.

"Sarada that's, no, that was never my decision to make." again Hinata had only caught herself before she could say something poorly considered. She thought the idea was horrible, but the last thing the girl needed was to be judged for speaking her mind.

"Was it mine?" she asked back in turn glancing to the bed and Hinata was actually relieved to see some sorrow in the young woman's eyes. She was just having a hard time coping with everything.

"Y-you wouldn't have been old enough honey. It was actually my husband Naruto who made the decision." answered Hinata recalling her husband's admirable refusal to even consider giving up on his friend. He was always good at gestures like that, the big things. She might have told her a little more about that but for the door rattling opened.

Hinata barely noticed Sarada ducking behind the door as the girl's father entered the room his charcoal eyes landing on her sharply. He looked nothing like she remembered from her wedding, least of all because he was missing a large portion of his dominant arm. His hair had grown out too, in a way that surprisingly suited him flowing past his shoulders. The cagey impatient anger in his eyes was still familiar though.

"What are you doing here? Who the hell even are you?" his voice was rough as he pressed his questions moving into the room on slightly shaky legs as he was heavily propped up on a walking cane beneath his remaining hand. She tried not to take it personally, by the time she'd met the man he was often away on missions for long periods and even then it had been almost a decade since he'd seen her. She certainly didn't look the same she knew.

It was an easy fix but...

"She's my mother." Sarada spoke up sharply making herself known to her father in maybe one of the worst ways their reunion could have went. Both Uchiha stared at one another for a brief moment, the girls eyes sweeping over her parent's form before she focused on the stump of his left arm with a childish fascination as her father stared at her with no small amount of confusion...that was until Hinata saw something crumble in the man's eyes and he went stumbling towards the bed.

"Get the doctor sweetie!" Hinata called as she rushed to the man helping him stable himself somewhat. He was shaking a little still as she finally managed to get him settled on the edge of the bed, panicked eyes met her own as a surprisingly strong grip caught one of her own wrists.

"How old is she?" he asked numbly his eyes locking onto hers with a desperation that worried the Hyuuga woman greatly. She'd never been very good at withstanding that look in anyone's eyes...and a one armed coma patient who's daughter she'd been raising upped the ante considerably she was finding.

"S-she's twelve Sasuke." answered the white eyed woman as the doctor Sarada had went in search of entered the room swiftly not followed by her foster daughter. Quietly she excused herself as the doctor looked over the man, eager to escape the former soldier's empty eyed gaze and find Sarada.

Hinata wasn't having a good day so far and she couldn't help fearing that was nothing compared to what her semi adopted daughter must be feeling.

* * *

Months down the line.

"Which room is mine?" asked the young girl staring around the living room she'd just stepped into as she dropped her bag into the new pristine white couch she passed. Everything in the room was new, the furniture, the television even the carpeted floor seemed fresh. The place felt cold and austere for it.

"Just at the top of the stairs, do you want me to show you?" asked her father carrying her remaining luggage in. It seemed like a final bell tow for her new fate as the older Uchiha shook the rain free from his long hair. It seemed somehow right that it had been raining when he came to pick her up.

They'd talked, or more precisely her father and Hinata had talked about it. She was welcome any time she was told, it was only down the street she'd be moving, they'd still be seeing each other. She'd heard it all but believed none of it. Sarada knew what this was, how could she expect someone else to raise her now that she had her father back. It wasn't on Hinata, she was already in her debt.

"No. Thank you." the girl spoke moving straight for the stairs barely offering her stone faced father another look. She didn't need to, he'd just continue to look at her exactly the same way he had since he'd gotten out of the hospital, like she were a stranger.

Hinata was no longer obligated to take care of her now but her father was so here she was. Just an obligation switching hands, that's all she was.

"Are you hungry?" he asked his baritone almost echoing in the dead room. She paused on the stairs but kept her eyes on her worn red trainers.

"No. Thank you." she answered again before she continued up the stairs finding her room's door easily and pushing it open. She might have hated this room most of all, even more than the dead showroom catalogue living room or the kitchen that had never been cooked in.

For a start it was blue. She hated blue.

She clicked the door shut and made her way over to the bed. It was soft and it smelled clean, like it had been bathed in bleach and peaches. She didn't bother turning on the lights, she felt like she didn't really have the energy to for a start and besides that what was there to look at if she did? Ugly blue painted walls, an empty dresser and closet, two near empty shelves that had a few books that weren't hers and she had no intention of reading.

The only light in the room was the bare glow whispering its way in through the large window. She liked the window actually, it was odd but she found that the window was the only thing that she liked around the room. Maybe that's what inspired her next move.

It was wet and the light wasn't the best. She should have fallen a dozen times over as she worked her way down from dangerous foothold to even worse ones. She dropped the last few feet to the grass feeling her knees jar as she sunk into the soft soil stumbling. No noise though or she hadn't made enough noise she hoped, to draw any unwanted attention.

So what now, she thought to herself as she found her way out of the back alley. Go back into her father's house by the front door, that would be dumb. So would going to her old home, she was sure she could find it even in the dark but how long would she be there before her father came to pick her up? And could she really handle Hinata's disappointed look, or getting Boruto and Himawari's hopes up?

Ignoring the now torrential rain on her back Sarada took the opposite turn leading away from both her father's and Hinata's homes. She had no intention of just being anyone's obligation.

Twenty minutes later she was cold and soaked as a car crashed through a puddle drenching her in filthy water from the road. She pulled off the street into an alleyway shivering and pulling at her skirt to all but wring the water out of it. It didn't help a lot though as she pulled off her glasses shaking them out and trying to find some dry part of her clothing to make them usable again.

She was too preoccupied to notice the man until he was standing above her.

"What ya doing here girlie?" he had bleached hair slicked back with way too much product and his breath was rotten, as if something had died in his throat. She moved to step away from him without a response but a pale arm hammered the wall just before her face as she went to move, his other arm moved to her other side boxing her in as he leered down.

"Please, let me go." Sarada mumbled over the rain her mind going ninety but coming up with nothing except screaming or kicking him between the legs.

"Oh I'll let you go girl. If you're nice to me." he whined in the back of his throat his hands closing in on her shoulders. She screamed and tried to kick him, but it didn't work out. He hissed in pain but his grip on her only tightened and she found herself spun and forced against the wall her head hitting the bricks painfully as she heard her glasses crunch though the buzz of pain and taste of pennies.

She screamed again, everything in her body unwilling to accept what was happening as she tried to push away. She could feel the creep's hands on her, moving down her sides to the tops of her thighs and the hem of her skirt. She screamed again as she felt the fabric rising.

And then there was a boom of thunder. Or what she thought was thunder but was simply the sound of a prosthetic hand being broken against the side of someone's face. As the hands keeping her against the wall left her she twisted and slide down the cold stone staring at her would-be rapist as he picked himself up out of a puddle bleeding from his ear and taking off running desperately.

Her father's eyes turned to her and she still couldn't read what was written on his face. His fake arm was completely wrecked a massive crack running through it where he'd hit the man, a dominant hand remained dominant it seemed even if it was missing. Black eyes bored down on her as she brought her knees up to hug them.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm only here because of you, everything was fine before you showed back up!" she wasn't sure why she was saying it now, she just didn't care any more. It was his fault she was here, she didn't care that it was unfair. He had to know that, that she'd been happy before. He'd leaned down while she spoke but she'd stopped looking at him now, she just burned holes in her red trainers telling him what she'd been thinking for months now.

"I wish you had died!" there, she'd said it. If he'd died instead of fallen into a coma all that time ago none of this would have been happening. She didn't look up until she felt the hand on her shoulder, and then she saw the pain in her father's eyes.

"D-daddy." it tumbled out accidentally as she felt herself being pulled against his chest. Held desperately the way only one other person had ever held her in her entire life. He held her the way Hinata had, the way a parent should.

In the rain, months after her father had woken up Sarada grabbed him and cried into his chest.

* * *

She'd heard about children of divorce, and how they sometimes got spoiled when one parent didn't see their child in so long. Boruto seemed to think that's how it would be for her now, for a while anyway, he assured her it would be all water parks, the circus and fun fairs until she got sick of them. She kind of appreciated that Sasuke didn't bother with that.

After all it was much more fun watching him in the kitchen with Hinata.

"This! Why is your spatula still in plastic? What have you been eating?" the dark haired woman was aghast with almost everything she came across in the kitchen as her father tried openly to be of assistance and more subtly to avoid the Hyuuga's judgement. Himawari in particular seemed to enjoy seeing her mother bossing around the significantly taller man.

There wasn't many places Hinata asserted her will, but the kitchen was definitely one of them.

"Mostly take out." offered Sarada earning a bug eyed look from her former caretaker as she rounded on the sheepish Uchiha man gaping at him. The Uzumaki beside her chorused that with a giggle as she chewed on the lunch Hinata had prepared and brought over, apparently quite justifiably worried about the father and daughter's likely diets.

"That's not true." her father cut in offering her a subtle look of annoyance. She was getting better at telling apart his various blank looks for their tiny give-aways of emotion. Her current aspiration was to make him laugh, and really laugh not sarcastically or politely.

"No, no. There was also plenty of microwave dinners, some cup noodle and poptarts for breakfast. Right Sasuke." the dark haired girl mused watching as Hinata's hands fisted clumps of her dress as she offered the other parent a wide eyed open mouthed look.

"P-pop tarts! Sasuke that's like c-cocaine for kids!" exclaimed the woman rocking her shoulders as she displayed her well known distaste for pop tarts to Sasuke for the first time. The man was almost backing up and he actually shot his daughter a pleading look.

"He looks like you." Himawari spoke up beside her as Sasuke tried to explain himself to the normally sweet woman that was berating him. Sarada blinked taking in the white eyed girl's point, she hadn't really thought too much about it.

"You think so?" she asked in return wishing Boruto were here as well instead of at soccer practice. More opinions would certainly help.

"Uh-huh like I look like mommy, and Boruto looks like..." She trailed off before she mentioned her own biological father. It was about that point their parents joined them apparently done with their arguments about underutilized spatula and the position of pop tarts in the food pyramid.

"Do I look like my mother?" she asked as both adults settled into their seats. Hinata startled, probably for a moment forgetting that it was no longer her sole responsibility to deal with those awkward questions but Sasuke took it in stride shrugging.

"She wore glasses too but not really." he remarked casually, causing Hinata's eyebrows to draw down slightly. She supposed the glasses must have been a hint to who her mother was for the former Hyuuga, or they eliminated a prime suspect. She'd always told the girl she didn't know, though she thought her husband did. Sarada considered the point for a moment, then pulled off her glasses.

"Put these on Sasuke." she ordered passing her father her own glasses. Maybe she'd see the resemblance better, though the older Uchiha only eyed them suspiciously for now.

"Please Papa." he quickly took and donned the offered glasses. Now she saw it.

"Aw how cute." remarked Hinata tapping her father's shoulder lightly as she took in him wearing a school girl's glasses. And that struck a new look on her father's tight features, not quite embarrassment but close. Good embarrassment Sarada thought.

And now she saw something else. Something that gave Sarada some other plans. Romantic comedy inspired plans.

* * *

Okay that's the first chapter of this likely short little story. Hopefully it sets the scene well enough. Sarada and Sasuke have only recently reconnected after the latter reawakens, Naruto's estranged from his family for yet to be explained reasons and Hinata is naturally enough super mom having been raising her own children and Sarada as Naruto was technically her legal guardian.

Any questions, compliments, glorious praise or what not, well that's what the review button is for...not to be needy or anything.

Also this should be my fourth update today alone, I could have just coasted maybe updated one or two stories but I thought nah let's do four. It's a lucky number I believe. So if you like then check out my other stories too.

R&R


	2. Chap 2 The Hazards of Movies

Disclaimer; I do not own the Naruto, manga or anime or characters. Not mine. This is just the oldest form of flattery.

Review responses;

Hanmac- Naruto and Sakura both will turn up in time, though things will be slightly different than canon- it's fanfic after all. Sakura and Sasuke never married but Naruto and Hinata did, more on that later.

holmesfreak1412- Kishi is such a troll :( I was enjoying the depth, raised my opinion of Sakura a lot that she'd be such a devoted stepmother. Plus I hate the whole married your first crush/love thing, not when it's a rarity as much as when it's used as an algorithm for pairing characters up. I'll stick to my crack ships.

Fher34- Real world AU and yes Karin's the mother in this story at least.

Title; The Hazards of Waking Up

Chapter Two:

* * *

She felt in control again.

Red, all she could see was scarlet red. Dripping down the room's walls, splashed over the white covering on her new bed and the floor too. It was on her hands, sinking under her fingernails and dripping from the tool in her tight fist as she eyed the bare splash of drying liquid scarlet on her father's pale cheek and found herself grinning.

Then Sarada laughed, a free easy laugh as she took in the sight of what she'd done with her father.

It was all so glorious.

"See Sasuke, red is so better!" exclaimed the younger Uchiha happily as the pair eyed the nearly finished room. All but one of the room's walls were now freshly painted in the girl's preferred colour and she couldn't have looked happier for it, her eyes sparkled behind her glasses with a profound glimmer of victory as she gloated internally.

Sasuke was reminded of Sarada's mother, and more worryingly of Naruto. Must have been something about Uzumaki's and marking their territory with paint he figured, she was half Uzumaki after all.

At least it was red, not orange.

"You ready to do the top?" asked Sasuke leaning down as his daughter nodded enthusiastically resolute. The girl was quick to clamber onto him her paintbrush in hand like a sword as Sasuke straightened up Sarada perched on his shoulders. He'd probably have to touch up the wall later himself- when she wasn't looking of course- but for the moment it was nice between them as Sarada attacked the remaining blue patches.

Maybe that was why the doorbell chose that moment to ring.

"Eh Sasuke, you mind putting me down first?" the dark haired girl shot down to him as he twisted in response to the door putting her off balance and earning himself a smack of the wet brush.

"Yeah, right." her father answered his face screwing up at the paint dripping from his cheek. Sarada tried to hide a giggle at that as she was set back down. The younger Uchiha offered the one still blue patch of her wall an upset look of her own for a moment before she made her way out of the room in search of her father when he didn't return.

She found him by following the sound of giggling coming from the kitchen but waited outside only peaking in at the room's occupants.

"I-its a good idea, she loves red. T-though I don't think it suits you as much." Hinata had taken up a towel and was gently cleaning the paint off the older Uchiha's face, for his part Sasuke looked like a mildly annoyed statue but accepted the help without comment.

"I'll bear that in mind." remarked her father as Sarada watched and frowned. She shouldn't have let him answer the door in painting clothes, she'd need to get him dressed up the next time they met. And go over some lines, her father really needed help with the whole talking to women thing...and the talking in general thing actually.

"There you go." answered the Hyuuga woman smiling gently at her work. Sarada waited for a thank you that never came and added it to the list of things she'd be talking to her father about later. Better clothes, sweeter lines and manners...though she had the feeling more things might be added to that list soon.

"What did you want anyway?" asked Sasuke his voice coldly even. If it bothered Hinata though Sarada couldn't tell, though it did annoy her a little, manners were going to the top of the list. Her old caregiver waved her father over to a small box she must have brought with her cracking it open with a small hollow clap.

It probably wasn't cookies but Sarada could always hope.

"This is..." the spying younger Uchiha was surprised to see some genuine emotion light up her father's usually so tired eyes as he reached into the box moving some small things around and withdrawing an oversized book slowly flipping through the pages as Hinata held back over his shoulder, watching his actions almost indulgently.

"It took awhile to get everything together but I thought you'd like it." explained the white eyed woman smiling to herself as she and the dark haired man looked at whatever was in the book, there was almost a tremor in her father's voice as he looked back at the white eyed woman to respond.

"Thank you." her father spoke as he pulled what Sarada realized now was a photo out of the album though she couldn't tell what it was of. Hinata could though and cooed happily.

"That was Halloween two years ago, she made that herself." remarked Hinata and Sarada was happy to see her sharing a moment with Sasuke. Until she realized what that photo was of, of course. The younger Uchiha quickly made her presence known storming into the kitchen a dangerous look on her face.

Hinata tried to hide the evidence, her father tried to show it to her. Sarada glared angrily at the picture of herself and Boruto in cosplay.

* * *

"He's not being mean to you is he?" the blonde asked conspiratorially leaning over the couch to whisper to her. His bright blue eyes watched her father carefully as he moved around followed devoutly by Himawari as she quizzed him endlessly about minor details. Sarada snorted quietly.

"Why? You gonna kick him in the shin or something?" she returned earning a slightly less than dignified pout from her friend. The Uzumaki was grumbling to himself when Sasuke returned to them dropping Himawari onto the couch between them wearily, well he didn't look weary but Sarada could tell. Few adults could weather an overly excited Himawari.

"Pizza's on the way. What movie do you want to watch?" the older Uchiha asked the question the same way a man might ask how he was to be executed. That probably had something to do with the trouble he'd had getting them to agree to pizza toppings. It wasn't a disappointment though when Himawari suggested a Disney animated movie, Boruto suggested an R rated zombie flick her father stared at blankly for a moment before confiscating and she suggested a romantic comedy.

She'd be making her father watch several romantic comedy's in the near future, and she'd be making him take notes too.

"Himawari's first, we can watch Sarada's after." her father ordered earning himself a cheer from the youngest Uzumaki and a glare from the elder sibling...followed by vehement protests.

"When do we watch mine?" spat the blonde his arms crossed angrily. The dark haired man offered his momentary charge a brief blank look his eyes only flickering briefly to his daughter in a look that she didn't quite understand.

"Last obviously, aren't you worried your sister would fall asleep before hers otherwise?" answered Sasuke and Sarada recognized his earlier look as the closest her father apparently came to wink-wink nudge-nudge behaviour.

"Yeah, yeah of course! Guys stay up the latest obviously." the blonde was almost insufferably proud of himself at the idea leaning back smugly happy to watch Frozen for the umpteenth time, under the illusion he and Sasuke would watch the zombie movie later that night.

Hinata had a date.

It was not something Sarada was overly happy about, especially not when her father answered the door to the beautifully dressed up woman in an old ratty Led Zeppelin t-shirt when Sarada had laid out a much better outfit for him that had went completely ignored. She'd managed to at least get her father some brownie points by offering him up for babysitting duty in the first place. He hadn't been too happy when she'd informed him point blank that he'd be babysitting that weekend, but once she'd gotten a little teary eyed and mentioned how much she missed her foster siblings the stoic man had quickly crumbled.

"You guys eat pizza a lot?" Boruto asked her as the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of their dinner. Sarada was happy to hear the note of jealousy in the Uzumaki's voice and took her own turn to be the smug one.

"Not as much as Chinese but more than anything else." answered the girl adjusting her glasses pleased with herself, for a moment anyway. They didn't eat much take out now really, especially after Hinata had heard about the pop tarts.

"Mommy says take out will make you fat." Himawari spoke up innocently between them taking the chance to poke the stunned Sarada in the belly. That went over very well with her brother who grinned as he joined in.

"I thought you looked...different Sarada." the blonde mentioned his grin fiendish as he attempted to poke the girl the same way his sister had, the offending finger was quickly smacked away by the bespectacled girl as she blushed furiously and glared at the laughing siblings from behind her glasses.

"You're not getting fat Sarada." the cold voice caused all three to jump and blink at the dark eyed man staring down at them. As the two Uzumaki's hopped up to make their way for the kitchen table quietly, Sasuke swept around the couch dropping the food onto the coffee table. The Uzumaki's and Uchiha's blinked at one another for a minute before Sarada realized the cause of confusion.

"We can eat in front of the television." explained the dark haired girl almost laughing at the expressions her old foster siblings wore as they returned to the couch. She'd barely noticed it herself, concentrated on other things at the time, when she'd started living with her father but he had a much more lax approach to rules than Hinata did. Mostly it was don't break or burn anything and a bed time policy.

"He's actually kind of cool." remarked Boruto as he returned to the couch apparently having been completely won over by pizza in front of the television and the mistaken belief that he'd be allowed to watch an R-rated zombie movie later on. Boys, Sarada decided, were simple creatures in so many ways.

Himawari only offered a shushing noise in their general direction and a cute glare as she realized her favourite song had started when she'd been making her way for the kitchen.

* * *

The second time he answered the door to Hinata they'd had a trade of aesthetics.

Under the insistence of his surprisingly determined daughter he had traded his comfortable t-shirt for the crisp starchy shirt she seemed to like so much, he'd even combed his hair to get the girl to relax and enjoy her movie. Not that she had, she'd spent the first hour pointing out lines to him and asking pointed questions to make sure he was following the plot. He'd never been reminded more of Karin in his life, which was sad all things considered.

Whatever evening Hinata had experienced though it had obviously been much more stressful than his had been. Her dress still clung to her form making the rather covered up and reserved clothing seemed unnaturally provocative but it was now smeared with mud near its bottom where she'd been presumably victim of a splash of a dirty puddle from a passing car. She was shivering visibly her hair a slightly tangled mess from the rain and her own fingers but it was her eyes that left the Uchiha feeling strangely empty.

The white orbs were under marked with what remained of her mascara, a sure sign that she'd been crying at some point earlier, not that he would have been able to tell except for the make-up's dead give-away. Her eyes were controlled, sharp in the way of someone who was anything but fragile. She was a woman that could be strangely beautiful when she was sad.

"Come in." He led her upstairs fishing out a sweatshirt that was too big and a pair of sweats that would look ridiculous of the woman's slighter frame but that she accepted none the less after a cursory attempt at a refusal. She smiled at the clothes briefly and he idly remembered how she used to wear such oversized clothing very often.

"Tea or coffee?" he asked plainly as he moved towards the door to let the woman change in private. She glanced at him confused for a moment before she accepted the gesture with a slight smile requesting tea.

Downstairs he checked on the three children thoroughly passed out on the couch. Himawari had started to snooze almost before her movie had even ended and the other two had drifted off nearing the end of the second movie. Which had relieved the Uchiha greatly since he'd almost been worried they would demand to see the third movie.

Two cups of tea were prepared as quietly as the man could before he took them up to check on the Hyuuga girl still in his bedroom. He knocked awkwardly on the door with his prosthetic hand and pushed in after a moment when he received no answer. The dress was hung over the back of his desk chair and the change of clothes were no longer there but he couldn't figure out where Hinata had disappeared to.

A chill whisper of cold air alerted him to the answer.

"You needed some air?" he asked poking his head out the window and glancing at the cleaned up woman sitting on her bare feet and watching the last remains of the light drizzle. It was a weird little feature to the house where the front bedroom's window led out onto a small roof of it's own but was still sheltered from the rain by the true roof hanging above. It almost seemed like they'd planned on building a balcony but got lazy at the last minute if Sasuke was being cynical about it.

"I like this, our's doesn't have any cool features." explained the white eyed woman surprisingly girlish as she grinned at the tiny tilted sanctuary. Their homes were quite similar as he'd purposefully moved into the same neighbourhood to make things easier on his daughter but they were only in a two bedroom house where Hinata had a three bedroom home further down the street.

"I took the room to keep Sarada from hanging out up here." he mentioned off handed as he passed the brunette both cups to hold while he climbed out to join her. It had never occurred to him to hang out there himself, he'd only immediately worried that Sarada would be tempted to. Hinata giggled lightly.

"I think she's still a little too young to be out here smoking yet." she answered back offering the Uchiha his tea once he was on solid grounding next to her. The drizzle had almost completely died away as they looked out at the night sky sharing a comfortable silence. One waited for the other to ask while the other waited for them to share, neither seemed to mind how long grew to pass.

"So what happened?" Sasuke asked draining the last of his tea, somehow he felt like he couldn't ask if he waited until they were back inside, by then it would somehow be wrong to ask.

"We...had an argument. He didn't like something I told him." she explained glancing down at her toes and wiggling them. She sounded beat up and hopeless, like she'd been expecting what had happened. Still the Uchiha had to wonder what it had been, maybe she only told her date about the kids tonight.

For some reason he wanted to cheer the pale woman up, he just didn't know how to even start doing that. Cheering people up wasn't something he often did.

"Um could you carry Himawari? Please...she's impossible to wake up." the pale woman asked as they made their way back downstairs Hinata moving quickly to her older child running a hand through his hair before she started to gently shake him awake. Sasuke ignored the affectionate moment as he somewhat struggled to get the light girl balanced with one arm. He didn't imagine Hinata would take well to him just throwing her daughter over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Time for the zombies ya?" asked the Uzumaki boy as he woke up before paling significantly at realizing it was his mother above him. Hinata offered her son a strange look for a second before she turned it on the Uchiha.

"Strange dream." Sasuke remarked as Boruto laughed a little nervously waking up slowly.

"Ya, just a strange dream." he agreed standing up and avoiding his mother's eyes as he made for the door. Hinata wore a suspicious look on her pretty features but didn't comment as she offered Sasuke a grateful smile and a gentle thank you.

"It's alright, it's kind of nice." he mentioned off handedly as the youngest Uzumaki wrapped a thin arm around his neck and snuggled closer struggling to get comfortable. Hinata offered him a small smile.

"I guess Sarada's a little too old to pick up now." she'd said it automatically as it was the same thing she'd been missing with Boruto but stopped dead her face draining as her mind pointed out that the Uchiha didn't miss a time when he could carry his daughter around like that he'd missed out on it, almost entirely.

Sasuke didn't say anything at all, almost like he hadn't heard her.

* * *

If there was one thing Sasuke Uchiha wasn't expecting when he got back to his own home it was to see his troublesome daughter at the door arguing with a tall rain soaked figure. It wasn't a sight that he appreciated either.

"I don't know what you're selling but you can get the hell..." he trailed off in his growled threat to the man's back as the figure spun offering him a bright grin and revealing that whatever Sasuke might have threatened him with he'd already heard it before. A second afterwards the Uchiha found himself trying to push Naruto Uzumaki off of him as the blonde pulled him into a hug.

Sarada huffed and glared at them.

"It's like looking into a little cuter- kind of angry- mirror. Except the glasses, you never wore glasses right bas-em buddy?" Naruto was babbling as the father and daughter led him inside, Sasuke offering him a towel less than politely complaining about simply not wanting the furniture ruined.

"You should look at your own kids then buddy." remarked Sarada snarkily following the two into the kitchen as her father offered her a look, she ignored it and Naruto missed the jab.

"Sarada, it's time for bed." the older Uchiha ordered as his daughter popped onto a stool beside Naruto apparently intent on joining the two rubbing the sleep from her eyes and adjusting her glasses.

"Not tired." she returned easily still looking unhappily at the Uzumaki beside her.

"I'll paint your room blue again." remarked Sasuke casually sitting down across from his daughter and resting his chin on his knuckles. There was a brief battle of wills between the two before the younger Uchiha stomped off less than pleased and plotting.

"She really doesn't like me." whispered Naruto once Sarada was out of earshot his cerulean eyes bright and wide. The Uchiha shrugged idly at the comment though.

"That's more my fault, I've given her abandonment issues." answered the darker of the pair drawing a murmur from his friend. He'd only heard bits about the split between Naruto and Hinata since he had woken up but it had seemingly been mutual, both growing apart as the Uzumaki's career kept him away for long stretches of time. He didn't judge it himself, but it was easy to see how the children saw their parent's split, if they were looking for someone to blame then Hinata had always been there and Naruto was a fly by visit kind of parent.

"You tried bribing her with presents?" asked the blonde with a wink running a hand through his still very wet hair.

"Not yet." commented the Uchiha shrugging, somehow he doubted presents would earn him anything but ire from his daughter. Although she apparently appreciated him being well dressed and watching romantic comedies so that was something to try more of.

"So, can I crash on the couch? I kind of rushed back, couldn't get a hotel. I could try Hinata bu-" Naruto was cut off before he could say any more on the topic as Sasuke offered him a dark look.

"You're staying on the couch." Somehow despite it being what he'd wanted in the first place Naruto was impressed with how much the Uchiha managed to make it sound like it was his order instead and that there was no room for argument. The Uzumaki grinned brightly.

"I've missed you bastard." Naruto let him know going for another hug only for the Uchiha to keep the table carefully between them. Sasuke was quick to excuse himself then after sorting out his friend with a blanket. It had been a long evening, between babysitting and dealing with unusual house calls and he needed some sleep.

The blonde had only just settled himself on the surprisingly comfortable couch glancing at the movie disks left out on the coffee table- why did Sasuke have so many romantic comedies anyway- when he heard the creak of someone on the stairs.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" he asked the girl as she crept into the living room plopping onto one of the armchairs. He was momentarily distracted as he finally spotted a movie worth watching of the bunch. He loved zombies, who didn't?

"I'm old enough to stay up as late as I want." answered the Uchiha girl reminding Naruto more than a little of both her parents. He shrugged anyway and went about getting his movie on.

"I don't think you're that old Sarada." commented Naruto holding off on starting the movie just yet, it probably wasn't the kind of thing he should let a pre-teen see. Sarada was quick to cross her arms though pouting annoyed.

"I'm almost sixteen now." She wasn't but that didn't stop the dark eyed girl complaining about it stone faced as the Uzumaki blinked in return highly taken aback. He'd thought she was only about the same age as Boruto.

"R-really?" asked the confused blonde eying her skeptically.

"I've a condition." She didn't but she said so anyway watching the blonde hold up his hands quite abashed. It gave the Uchiha a strange kind of satisfaction.

"R-right sorry. I should know that. So, um, zombie movie?" asked Naruto apparently his attempt at a peace offering to the girl he was now worried he'd offended further. Sarada accepted it as such and moved to join him on the couch for a better angle of view.

"Psst, do you guys have popcorn?" the trailers had only just started when the Uzumaki paused it leaning over to his companion to ask quietly. Sarada was weirded out at it though as it seemed like such a Boruto thing to do, he'd been exactly like that earlier the same night.

"Yeah in the furthest press." she answered as Naruto went climbing over the back of the couch more like a monkey than a man as he made for the popcorn.

"It's good." praised the blonde around a mouthful of popcorn as he dropped a bowl full of the snack onto the couch beside Sarada before hitting play on the movie. Not at all interested in the movie unfolding the young Uchiha instead glanced at her foster sibling's father as he watched as absorbed as she knew Boruto would have been in the same movie.

"So how come you're nev- oh dear god!" Sarada's line of questioning was interrupted quite rudely as one of the brain dead teenagers she'd been watching onscreen was swarmed by a horde of the undead. Open mouthed the bespeckled girl stared at the gore as her companion whooped quietly. Any and all questioning of the Uzumaki's parenting was forgotten as the girl snatched up one of the couch cushions gripping it to her chest for dear life.

Why had Boruto wanted to see this?

* * *

"Sasuke." he barely heard his daughter, quietly trying to wake him up. When he didn't respond he found himself almost violently shook by the normally reserved girl.

"Papa!" she tried again immediately getting her father's attention as he shook his head coming awake sharply. He stared at the girl for a moment as she looked left to right rapidly biting her lip before she gave the bedroom door a significant look rushing to close it. The older Uchiha raised an eyebrow in question at his daughter.

"Move over!" she ordered sharply clambering into the bed beside her father as he shifted backwards on the sheets. He watched mildly fascinated as the girl braced two of his pillows behind her like a fort and clung to his front using him it seemed as her other barrier.

"What's going on Sarada?" he asked as he realized just how upset the girl was wide eyed and shaking beside him.

"Zombies Sasuke! Zombies! We can get out your window easier if they break in. We'll get out while they eat that idiot downstairs and since it's the front window we can get to Mama and Boruto and Himawari quicker. Then we'll-" she only calmed down in her rambling when Sasuke looped his arm around the girl's tiny shoulders hugging her to his chest and giving her an invaluable sense of comfort at the moment.

"Shh. I'll stay awake...okay. So we'll know if anything comes." he explained calming the girl further. He remembered the first time he'd seen a horror movie like that, with Naruto when they were kids. He'd had nightmares he was sure so he stayed up unwilling to accept the idea of his daughter waking up to find him asleep on the job, contenting himself with thinking of things years past now as he watched his daughter and quieted her nightmares whenever she stirred.

* * *

And that's chapter two up and ready for you guys. Hope you're still enjoying it. To answer a general confusion thing as well this is a real world AU and as I started this before the last chapter of the Gaiden with certain things in mind I'm keeping Karin as Sarada's mother, just works better for me nothing against pinkie.

Let me know what you think and have a good week guys.

R&R


	3. Chap 3 The Hazards of Visits

Disclaimer; I don't own Naruto, properties or it's characters. Try and enjoy it anyway.

Title; The Hazards of Waking Up

Chapter Three;

* * *

"Are you going to open the door or what?" asked Boruto cheerfully as Sarada jingled her keys as she had been for the last five minutes, trying to get the door's unresponsive lock to turn with little success. She'd almost resorted to kicking the warm dark wood as the blonde behind her enjoyed the sun and the sight of his friend's struggle in equal parts.

"It's a stupid lock." returned the young girl adjusting her glasses and glaring at the offending door. It didn't help in the slightest as the girl pulled at her uniform skirt and actually did kick the door huffing.

"Can I try?" asked the Uzumaki accepting the keys from the frustrated girl carefully. The first attempt was met with little success and a pout, the second was met with an audible click and a bright grin aimed at one unhappy Uchiha.

"Don't say a word." snapped the Uchiha girl cutting off Boruto just as he was about to. Quietly both stepped into the girl's home dropping their school bags with twin sighs of relief.

"Your Dad takes naps? Are dad's supposed to take naps?" asked Boruto as they passed the living room spotting the older Uchiha passed out on the large sofa his one good arm laying over his eyes. Sarada didn't offer much of an answer as she looked him over with a strange expression, she knew just why her father was so tired today.

"He can nap if he wants." snipped Sarada leaving her friend quite taken aback as the dark haired girl went scuttling off returning momentarily with a blanket. It was a surprisingly caring thing to see her do when she spent large portions of her school days complaining about the man to the blonde.

The Uzumaki boy offered her a wide grin, the door he could have let go- well, maybe- but this was too much.

"Aw look at you, you little sweetie." the blonde boy crooned with a cat grin needling the dark haired girl as her face erupted in scarlet and she begun to twitch. Deftly the Uzumaki ducked back as Sarada swiped at him adjusting her glasses and turning away to stomp into the kitchen fuming.

"It's not sweet, I just don't want him getting cold is all." the still red faced girl spluttered her arms folded as the blonde boy all but ignored her taking a seat at the kitchen table somewhat quietly in consideration of the sleeping man in the next room. The blonde blinked idly at her offering her a dull look.

"Sorry what were you saying? I kind of zone out when you go all Tsundere like that." remarked Boruto increasing his companion's blush double fold in intensity. She was about to begin a denial but was cut off as the door jolted open and an excited presence entered the house. Sarada paled as she realized that she probably should have warned her friend.

There was the sound of one body landing on another, an angered growl and then the sound of someone being thrown onto the floor. Both preteens crept cautiously to peak back into the living room silently.

"Aw why'd you do that ya bastard?" moaned an older copy of the Uzumaki spying from the kitchen currently. He was lazily sat on his behind rubbing his lower back as he pouted up at his friend, for his part Sasuke was glaring down darkly at the blonde rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"You jumped on me, what did you expect?" growled Sasuke as the older Uzumaki picked himself up.

"I was excited, you should see Himawari she's so cute. And she's gotten huge." Naruto was making hand gestures that could have easily been conveying what a big fish he had caught as he gushed about his youngest child to his friend. The Uchiha only hummed rubbing a hand through his overgrown hair and squinted at the blanket covering him.

"They do that. Did you put a blanket over me?" returned the dark haired man folding the blanket back lazily off his legs. The Uzumaki man had gotten himself comfortable in an arm chair crossing his legs underneath himself rocking excitedly as he gushed.

"No, I don't even know where you keep them." answered the blonde driving into a recounting of his visit to Hinata and his daughter, not that the Uchiha processed any of it as he realized how the blanket had found itself over him. Sarada and Boruto quickly found their spying place discovered by dark empty eyes.

"You two can come out now." ordered the long haired man drawing the two children out.

"Oh you guys are here?" spoke up the Uzumaki happily waving at his son and the Uchiha's daughter. He was unsurprised when he received a glare from his own son but a little happy when Sarada only offered him a sheepish look.

"Yeah we came here to do our homework." spoke up Sarada as the blonde next to her went for the aloof approach shoving his hands into his pockets and shrugging up his shoulders. It was the same delinquent pose his father used to adopt when trying to look tough in his youth.

"Oh I can help, I'm really good at..." the blonde had offered up his services enthusiastically but trailed off awkwardly as he tried to think of a solid subject.

"Art. You were good at art." remarked his friend helpfully moving over to his daughter. She blushed slightly as he patted her head affectionately as he passed her still possibly half asleep. She followed briskly leaving the father and son to glare and grin at one another in turn. The elder Uchiha made his way unsurprisingly straight towards the coffee maker clicking it on, Sarada grabbed two cups for him.

"I want to try some." the dark eyed girl stated as her father's blank gaze swept over her in what she figured was confusion. She'd considered asking him instead but had picked out a trend lately, it was better to make demands of Sasuke rather than requests. Also puppy dog eyes, they were much more effective on Sasuke than they'd ever been on Hinata.

"You're too young." he stated blankly, but took both cups anyway.

"How old were you when you started drinking coffee?" she asked folding her arms and keeping her poker face firmly in place. It had the desired effect as the older Uchiha frowned darkly.

"You're only having one, and don't tell Hinata." returned Sasuke after a moment earning a bright grin from his daughter at her minor victory. Internally she was reworking his sentence as 'don't tell your mother' though. Soon she'd have them together...once she got Boruto in on her scheme of course.

"How was school?" asked her father after another brief moment as both Uchiha watched the machine drip it's dark coveted liquid somewhat impatiently. Sarada blinked up at him somewhat surprised at the small talk.

"Fine, boring but fine." she answered wondering if he was going to quiz her about her grades next. He didn't though as the coffee was almost ready and he went after the sugar bowl, questioning how she wanted it. She went with mimicking her parent as the two blondes entered the kitchen.

"We should go out to dinner." the older blonde declared brightly taking a seat beside his sulking son.

"Sure. No ramen though." Sasuke spoke up dampening one Uzumaki's hopes and bringing a smirk to Boruto's face as he chimed in too. Sarada didn't have the heart to mention that she wouldn't have actually minded some ramen.

"You're going to join us?" Sarada asked her friend momentarily surprised, once Naruto showed up she had been sure the younger Uzumaki would jump ship. He seemed to be taking a rather proactive approach to ignoring her father though. Ignoring him to his face if you will.

"I wasn't invited?" he asked back in return glaring darkly when his father threw an arm around his shoulders assuring him that he could come if he wanted to. It took a lot for Sarada to avoid giggling at the sight. Naruto Uzumaki, she was finding, had a way of endearing himself to people with his eternal optimism and cheerfulness.

"I'll call your mother. I don't want her kicking my door down." Sasuke spoke up drawing a slight giggle from his daughter as she imagined the shy woman doing it in her mind's eye.

"So...not a ramen shop exactly but can we go somewhere that still has ramen on the menu." the blonde started as the older Uchiha went for the house phone.

* * *

"I didn't know you had a dog?" He mentioned as the brunette struggled over to him with the rather oversized dog somehow kept in check. The large white dog barked and growled lowly at him before Hinata somehow managed to quiet it with a sharp whisper and a pat on the head.

Actually the more Sasuke looked at it the less sure he became that it wasn't in truth a lion cosplaying as a dog...and cosplaying badly at that.

"H-he's not mine, a friend's out of town so I'm dog-sitting. W-would you like to join us?" she asked smiling brightly despite the early hour and the morning chill. Idly the Uchiha shrugged and accepted the offer to join her, though he wasn't sure why.

"How is..." he trailed off in his questioning as he realized he didn't really know a whole lot about the Hyuuga to inquire about. He didn't know what she did for a living, or if she had siblings that she was close with- though a certain cousin bearing down threateningly on Naruto before their wedding sprung to mind. Their only mutual connection was her somewhat estranged husband and that seemed like awkward territory.

Pale eyes blinked up at him in curiosity awaiting the end of his question, she seemed endlessly patient as she refused to interject allowing her companion to mule over his thoughts as long as he wanted.

"How are the kids?" he settled on the less thin ice. There was no way Hinata wouldn't be mentally adding a 'since Naruto came back' onto the end of the question. His concerns about stumbling onto awkward ground though didn't last long as Hinata smiled up brightly at him her dimples flashing.

"G-good. Bolt's been talking about that dinner a lot." answered the woman giggling politely behind a raised hand. That caused some momentary concern for Sasuke...he'd been mostly blocking that meal out.

"What did he say exactly?" asked the dark haired man as the pair turned a corner the large white dog leading the way swiftly.

"H-he mentioned the waitress complimenting Naruto and you on your bravery." her eyes were twinkling as he was thrown back to the evening himself. To the perky waitress confusing himself and Naruto for a gay couple raising two children, not helped in the slightest by the Uzumaki not actually realizing what was going on but being no less enthusiastic about accepting the praise for it anywhere.

"I thought she figured he was brave for wearing that orange shirt." answered the Uchiha parroting himself from the night before, something in the crinkle of his companion's eye told him she'd already heard that part.

"I-I think it helped Bolt feel less strange around N-Naruto, he usually takes a long time to warm back up to him whenever he's around." commented Hinata smiling serenely. Sasuke supposed how he could see that, with the gap Sarada and he had suffered for comparison it would make things seem relatively easier.

"I think it helped Sarada a lot too. She had Naruto telling old stories." offered the Uchiha distantly recalling the occasional stamp to the blonde man's foot when he swayed into dangerous territory.

"I'm glad t-they have someone- eep- to relate to." spoke Hinata squeaking as the dog she was watching jerked her forward, reflexively Sasuke had reached out with his good hand to catch a hold of the leash and help steady her. They ended up pressed together as the Hyuuga woman finished speaking with a light flush colouring her features as she felt his warm palm on the back of her hand.

With a spark they separated ignoring the lingering warmth where their hands and shoulders had connected.

"I...wanted to ask you something actually." began the Uchiha running a hand through his hair as he fought back the strange emotion that such close proximity with the pale eyed brunette brought swimming to the back of his mind. Hinata's blush hadn't faded yet, if anything it seemed brighter as she nodded.

"I'm taking Sarada to see her mother tomorrow. Karin's been in mental care since before my accident and I don't know how she'll be. They say she's mild but..." as he spoke rattling off his story he noticed Hinata's blush had vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Oh." was all Hinata offered and if Sasuke didn't know better, then he would have thought she sounded disappointed, or maybe dejected.

"If you, could you call by tomorrow evening? I think it could help a lot." he asked, uncomfortable at asking for another person's help so brazenly. But it was for his daughter and he could do it for her. Hinata smiled gently at him, their strange moment past.

"O-of course. I'll bring ice cream." she answered brightly tucking her long dark hair back as they pressed on.

* * *

Sarada didn't like the place. It might have been the stifling air that smothered the atmosphere or the obvious little clues that lay everywhere speaking of a presence watching over them, or it could have been that smell; of medication, bleach and stale sweat. Of course she knew what it really was though, the palpable discomfort rolling off her father was impossible to ignore and only grew worse for him trying to hide it.

"Are you okay...Papa?" she asked adding the title in hopes of stirring Sasuke from his brooding as they sat in wait.

"Fine. This just...I haven't seen her in a long time. I don't know how this will go." he admitted after a moment under the weight of his daughter's sharp gaze. She nodded quietly wondering herself just how it would go.

"What's um, what's wrong with her exactly?" Even after begging her father to arrange all this she still had no idea what actually kept her mother in this place. She was crazy, obviously, not that Sasuke had said it like that opting instead for words like confused and troubled.

"She has a personality disorder. It didn't start until she was in her twenties though." he remembered it like it was yesterday, maybe because it was almost yesterday for him that he was looking for alternate work so he wouldn't be away from his daughter for so long on missions especially as his ex-girlfriend and the mother of said child had just been institutionalized.

"Wait...is that genetic?" she might have asked a bit quickly and blushed at the look her father gave her.

"A little, but it's only redheaded Uzumaki's I think. Her second cousin Nagato and Naruto's mother suffered from it." her father answered and she blinked owlishly at him for a moment her mind picking out something else she hadn't known from that sentence.

"She's an Uzumaki? How, what, I'm related to Naruto?" Sarada asked processing the idea that she really had been living with family all this time. It made a lot more sense the more she thought about it. She'd been put in the care of her father's best friend and mother's maybe only family.

"Naruto's mother and your mother's mother were cousins, so you're not close relatives. Naruto didn't tell you?" answered her father frowning, Sarada joined him in the unamused expression. Did Boruto know, or even Hinata? Why did her father and Naruto feel the need to avoid explaining anything unless directly asked first.

"Will she-" the girl was about to ask if her mother would even recognize her when a pair of orderlies entered the room accompanying a tall redhead with some oddly familiar glasses.

She was about to say something to the woman, her actual mother, when the stern appearing Uzumaki sneered at her and her emotional outburst croaked dead in her throat. She swayed closer to Sasuke as the woman wrenched out a chair for herself and plopped down offering her father a dirty look.

"Where've you been? These _morons_ still aren't following my procedures correctly." her mother snarled shooting both of her minders equally unamused looks as she huffed folding her arms over her starchy white clothing.

"I had an accident." stated the older Uchiha blankly lifting his prosthetic casually in the way a normal person might show off a new watch. Sarada watched the momentary burst of concern in Karin Uzumaki's wine coloured eyes before it vanished snuffed out and replaced with agitation. Her pale fingers darted out snatching a rough hold of the Uchiha's fake wrist as she eyed it clearly very upset. Both the orange and white haired orderlies tensed.

"You should have come to me earlier then, I could have fixed you." Karin grit out frowning darkly. For only a moment her wine eyes flickered to her biological daughter but there was no real hint of recognition.

"I was unconscious." Sasuke was blank and Karin was upset. Sarada had to wonder just what her home life would have been like if things had been different, if her mother wasn't crazy and her father hadn't entered a coma. She wasn't so sure it would have been a good one. That was probably something she should have been grateful for, if she'd really lucked out being raised by Hinata for all those years. So Sarada wondered just why it was she felt like crying at that very moment, and why she still wished she'd woken up all those missing years to breakfasts with a stone faced father and a fiery mother. Or been tucked in and read bedtime stories by them, or had them argue and laugh and live over little everyday things, every day with her. Why did she still feel so cheated when she was so sure that it couldn't have been better.

Was it because it was hers. That life with Karin and Sasuke was supposed to be hers, for better or worse.

"Who's this anyway? You're a little cutie aren't ya?" the redheaded woman had turned on Sarada for a moment and the younger Uchiha wasn't sure what to say as the other woman reached over and ever so gently pushed Sarada's glasses back up into position, a small smile painting her chapped lips.

"You already know that." answered her father his voice feeling like a life-raft as the younger Uchiha struggled to find her own.

"I guess. You sure look like your dad." hummed the Uzumaki the gentle airs fading a moment later as she leaned back stone faced before an ugly snarl broke out over her lips again. Sarada jumped in fright as her mother hammered a pale fist onto the table between them wild eyes turning on her caretakers.

"This is unacceptable! Where are my tools?! I need better assistants, more assistants even!" she'd sprung from her seat angrily waving her hands at the tables surrounding them in the visitors centre. Sarada wasn't sure if she had moved or if her father had but the next thing she knew she was pressed against the older Uchiha's side and his arm was wrapped protectively around her shoulders as she watched her mother throw a fit.

"It may be time to go Sasuke." the orderly who spoke was a giant of a man with bright orange hair messily pushed back out of his eyes. His white haired partner was busy attempting to gently calm the red headed patient as she screeched further on about her 'working' conditions and the punishments she'd meet out if things didn't improve.

"Yeah, thanks Juugo. Come on Sarada." her father spoke up blankly ushering her away. But as she drew closer to the white lit entrance Sarada realized that she hadn't said a single word to her mother. Nothing at all.

"Bye mama." she had meant to shout it out, a bold gesture like she knew Boruto would. But it had been choked down in her throat and came out instead as a whisper, the chin she'd meant to hold high and proud instead curled to her collarbone as she stared at her beat-up red trainers. She hadn't even managed to turn around.

Sasuke had heard her though and echoed the whisper earning a wide eyed look from the young girl.

* * *

"Come in." he gestured for the woman to enter leading her to the kitchen with all the energy of a zombie. Not that he wanted to be reminded of zombies any time in the near future.

"U-um so, how did it go?" asked the pale eyed mother of two sitting daintily at the kitchen table as Sasuke all but fell into one of the chairs opposite her. She'd never seen him like he was now, the closest comparison would have been their first meeting just after he awoke. The Uchiha seemed as drained as he had that day though thankfully much less manic.

"She held up well, until we got back to the car. You...you actually brought ice cream?" he asked blinking and eyeing her in a way that Hinata couldn't quite place exactly but thought might have been somewhere between amusement and amazement, though that was subtle on Sasuke. Only a fractional up quirk of one side of his mouth clued her in.

"I-it heals all wounds. Is she asleep?" asked Hinata after a moment, entirely set back at the idea of having to defend ice cream. No situation wasn't vastly improved for the treat in her experience.

"Yeah, passed out on the way home. Would you like a drink?" offered the Uchiha rubbing his brow tensely before taking a sip from the small glass of wine Hinata had before now failed to notice. She accepted happily confused at the idea that she was sharing a glass of wine and ice cream with Sasuke Uchiha, a man she'd barely associated with before he'd fallen into a coma.

It was nice, she always wanted a parent friend to sip wine and talk with...though somehow she doubted Sasuke would be helping her do her hair any time soon. She suppressed a giggle as he returned with the bottle and a second glass.

"H-how'd you get it open?" Hinata asked meekly after a second realizing that the white wine had been sealed with a cork originally. She usually couldn't get those open with two hands.

"I have my ways Hinata." his voice dripped a cool confidence and Hinata avoided pouting, she bet he had some kind of cool device or special corkscrew that made it easy. She'd have to raid his kitchen- very subtly- for whatever it was later.

"I-I'll bet you do." she returned smartly taking a tentative sip of her own glass before Sasuke raised an eyebrow and the pale Hyuuga woman realized that that had actually sounded, kind of, flirty. Blushing and spluttering followed.

"F-forget I s-said anything." she pleaded for a moment as her mind played back the line to her less like it had originally been said and more and more suggestively. Had she fluttered her eyelashes? Licked her lips? Did Sasuke think she was giving him bedroom eyes? Did she have bedroom eyes?

Maybe she'd done all those thing?

From his vantage point Sasuke watched several high speed expressions ghost his guest's pretty but un-made up features and he wondered just what he'd said wrong.

"Naruto's gone again." Sasuke muttered suddenly and quietly pulling Hinata back to the conversation. Back to save the world he was sure, one impoverished village or city at a time in his relief work.

"Y-yeah. Is it bad that I'm..." the Hyuuga woman had trailed off in what she was going to say her eyes flickering to their corners to avoid meeting her host's dark gaze.

"Relieved?" asked Sasuke in a dull dawdle. Hinata jumped a little and offered him a wide eyed look that confirmed his suspicion.

"Y-yeah, is that bad? I still l-love him...in a way and I always will. And the longer he's around, the more we drift back to that place but..." she was taking healthier mouthfuls of her bitter drink as she spoke realizing that while she'd came over intending to comfort the father and daughter duo she was now the one unloading.

"He'd leave again. You don't want to be hurt." finished Sasuke and Hinata had to wonder if she really was such a cliche. Sometimes it was hard not to agree with Boruto, she knew her former husband did a lot of good in the world with his work and she wasn't selfish but she really had moments where she resented him choosing strangers half the world away instead of them.

"A-anyway aren't I supposed to be comforting you?" Hinata asked after a moment unable to stop a small giggle when the Uchiha in front of her tilted his head, his brows drawing tight in genuine confusion. It didn't last long.

"Karin right. We're an Uzumaki support group it seems." joked the dark haired man weakly, so weakly in fact he sounded as if he were announcing the formation of an actual club or group. It didn't help when Hinata offered him a more baffled expression than he'd ever seen on her or most other people in his life.

"K-karin Uzumaki?...Your wife was an U-Uzumaki, our kids are related?" Hinata rushed out throwing light on her earlier state of wonder. Sasuke found himself rubbing the bridge of his nose and reaffirming his vow to murder Naruto as painfully and slowly as possible.

"We were never married but yes, Karin Uzumaki. Did Naruto tell nobody that?" Not that Sasuke wouldn't have understood maybe keeping it from Sarada until she was a little older given that first visiting coma daddy in the hospital and then visiting crazy mommy in another hospital might have been stressful for a child. But why wouldn't he have told his wife, who was raising the girl?

"T-That's great though, Bolt and Himawari have a cousin now. Kids need cousins growing up." announced Hinata beaming and clasping her hands in front of her chest apparently much more excited about it than Sasuke thought was strictly necessary. That may have been because she'd finished her wine though, he wasn't sure she could handle her drink.

"They're like third cousins so it's hardly close." the Uchiha began but found himself surprisingly being shushed by a humming Hyuuga as she happily poured them both fresh glasses her eyes alight.

She was a fascinating woman, Hinata Hyuuga.

* * *

Okay folk that's all for chapter 3, hope peeps and newcomers alike enjoy it. As ever if you've any questions feel free to drop them in a review or of course send a pm if you want to ask more discreetly, up to you.

Thank you everyone who reviewed, it's always good to get feedback and it helps the story develop more in tune with what you guys all want. Not that a story ever changes due to reviews but popular subplots can find themselves being stretched and unpopular ones chopped down as well as more fluffy bits added if they're commented on often.

Please enjoy and don't hesitate to grab an alert (Story, Author, both) if you want more of this or me in general.

R&R


	4. Inter 1 The Hazards of Falling in Love

Disclaimer; Nope, I don't own Naruto.

Title; The Hazards of Waking Up

Interlude One; The Hazards of Falling in Love

* * *

October was an awful time of the year for a party, or at least she always thought so. It seemed strange that her eternally happy cousin had been born in such a gloomy miserable month but it was far from the strangest thing she'd ever come across.

Karin Uzumaki couldn't even fathom what she was doing here, hiding out in the back garden of her cousin's house while the party raged on inside. Karin wasn't honestly sure how so few people could be so loud, her cousin just seemed to attract loud people...except maybe one.

He'd appeared through the cloud of smoke she'd struck up with her cigarette, which she really shouldn't have been smoking given the likely consequences of getting caught by Kushina smoking under age. Dark eyes regarded her quietly, tucked away in her corner where she'd thought she was out of sight, and then he turned away.

The redhead was intrigued.

"Hey." she offered stepping out a little from the corner and a little closer to the man, well boy, staring out at the rain. His dark eyes turned to her again for a moment, unreadable and he turned back to the rain without a word. She took a step closer.

"Naruto was looking for you." his voice almost made her stumble as she finally made it to his side with her tentative baby steps. He reminded her of a stray black cat, skulking about in the cold autumn air.

"Do you want one?" she asked ignoring his comment and gesturing to her still lit but unfinished cigarette. She didn't much care for the idea of returning to her cousin's side, greeting all his loud school friends as they shared old stories and in jokes. It wasn't that they were bad as such, she was just feeling alone and miserable at the moment and jubilant strange company like that would only make it feel more pronounced.

"I don't smoke." he returned still facing away from her with all the interest of a statue.

"Oh. I'm Karin." it was the first time she'd introduced herself that evening, each time before Naruto had beaten her to the punch.

"I know." he breathed back his dark eyes flickering over his shoulder to her for another brief glance. She couldn't tell if the look was disdain or intrigue, or if he hadn't decided which it was yet. She was much more used to the former than the latter.

She'd seen the pill bottles cluttered around Minato and Kushina's home, her best case possible future if she developed the family condition like the older redhead had. Kushina still managed normalcy in her life, an impressive amount given that the worst case she could imagine- Nagato Uzumaki- was locked up. She wondered which way she'd break, broke but functional or completely and obliviously, she'd stopped tricking herself into thinking she'd be fine.

"You don't do small talk do you?" she asked after too many more quiet moments passed between them. She wondered just how her cousin and this dark statue could be friends so completely opposite they were.

"No." came the one word answer, softer than she'd expected it.

"What's your name?" she asked in turn, strangely pleased at the turnabout outside compared to inside. She seemed to be the more confident one, pushing and controlling the conversation instead of just spectating. Karin Uzumaki liked control.

"Sasuke Uchiha." the bored boy staring at the rain answered.

* * *

"Uzumaki, where's your cousin." a dark voice growled drawing the soon to be married pair apart like teenagers caught kissing. There was an innocence to both of them that even at their rehearsal dinner they tended to act bashful.

"Oh hey Sasuke, um well..." the blonde filtered off scratching the back of his head, he'd been trying to sneak a kiss or two from his soon to be wife away from the scrutiny of either of their families, he hadn't expected to be quizzed on anyone's whereabouts. It certainly didn't help that the Uchiha looked completely pissed.

Sasuke simply glared at him folding his arms expectantly.

"K-Karin? I s-saw her w-with S-Sakura near t-the k-kitchens." answered Hinata drawing both men's attention as she blushed and avoided Sasuke's eyes as his still irritated gaze fell on her now instead.

"I see. Congratulations Hinata, Naruto." grunted out the dark man his voice barely audible for the last part. He left a somewhat confused Hyuuga and a grinning Uzumaki a moment later as he stomped off intent on his prey.

"Aw that's nice. I wasn't sure he actually knew your name." commented Naruto brightly drawing a squeak from his soon to be wife as she blinked her large eyes up at him.

"W-What!" the slightly panicked Hinata shot back open mouthed.

It took Sasuke over half an hour and one threatening conversation with a bus boy to find his quandary. It wasn't a surprise really, he should have checked the smoking areas first, it was always the redhead's first response when she was stressed out.

"You're avoiding me." she'd ducked behind a dumpster once she'd seen him on the prowl and now he was staring at the redhead hunkered awkwardly in her long maroon dress with an unlit cigarette dangling from her lips. She looked sheepish.

"I wasn't going to smoke it, really." she answered oddly drawing a raised eyebrow from the Uchiha in front of her.

"I don't care if you smoke or not." he never had, she'd been a smoker since they'd met at fourteen and while she'd been off them for points over the years he'd never judged her for it or even commented on it. And only occasionally bummed cigarettes off her when the mood struck, which could be often when the Uzumaki was in a mood.

"I can't smoke it. But I really want to." she was pouting and he wondered what in the world any of it had to do with why she was avoiding him. But it was better to just let the redheaded Uzumaki ramble when she got in a mood, then apologize or agree with her at the end. Or duck, if she was really angry.

"Why can't you smoke?" he asked after a brief moment when Karin paused to withdraw the white stick from between her painted lips to glare at it and then redeposit it in it's resting place.

"I'm late." a long silence followed the Uzumaki woman's declaration. Sasuke took the cigarette off her.

"You're pregnant." he thought he'd meant it as a question but between Karin's nervous fidgety shrug and just a certain feeling in the back of his own mind Sasuke knew for certain that she was.

"I've gotten a doctor's appointment, but I took a home test and...yeah." The Uzumaki had already ruined her hair with her constant tugging at it, only ever on the one side leaving her asymmetrical and tried to snatch back her cigarette to complete her semi-deranged look. Sasuke crushed the cigarette between his fingers.

"That explains why you can't smoke, but why are you avoiding me?" the Uchiha asked folding his arms and quietly awaiting an answer.

"You don't like kids." she answered tightly after a moment glaring down at her shoes, she was still hunkered down and rubbing her knees.

"So?" he didn't remember ever saying that he disliked kids as such, he just wasn't sure how exactly to deal with them. They were excitable, innocent and several other things that he didn't quite deal well with...in fact they were basically Naruto, but he had to be nice to them.

"I overheard you talking with Minato too." she shot glaring up at him after a moment, why she was angry with him though he couldn't fathom. He hadn't really talked to Naruto's father so much as he was talked at, the blonde man having had maybe one too many cocktails as he decided to give Sasuke a talk about the complexities of being involved with an Uzumaki woman. Kushina had taken a downturn over the last year and it showed on the ageing man.

"He thinks I'm crazy." the Uzumaki continued bitterness clear in her voice. There was probably something upsetting about hearing a member of your family warning a partner away.

"So?" he asked again as casually as before as Karin shot up flushed and upset at him simply brushing off her concerns without care.

"Because I am crazy Sasuke, or I might...all of this is umm..." she was cut of as Sasuke curled his left hand beneath her chin and stole whatever else she was going to say away with a kiss sending the redhead's amber eyes wide for a moment before she shut them and leaned into the kiss busying her fingers with messing up his already unruly hair instead. When he pulled away his eyes were blank and calm and Karin felt all the nervous energy that had been pulling at her all week vanish leaving her pleasantly drained and leaning against her taciturn boyfriend aiming up for another kiss.

"It'll be fine Karin." he spoke simply and she believed him.

* * *

Ash, Sasuke decided, made a decent enough allegory for his life gone past now. It tapered away from the end of his lit cigarette as he released another breath of coiling painful smoke into the wet night air, the smoke danced around rain drops as the ash fell like dirty snow to the balcony floor. He felt used up and burnt out, and like the fallen ash he knew there was no way to put it back to how it had been before.

There was never any going back, not for him.

He hadn't slept in longer than he cared to think about, held up by coffee and some buzzing behind his eyes that had him shooting up stock straight every time he even tried to settle down, or maybe it was by Karin's shouting as she forgot her medication for the third time this week.

A sound, something like scratching and growling, had him flicking the cigarette away and returning inside the warm apartment glassy eyed and dead on his feet. He found them in their bedroom, his and Karin's and that annoyed him.

"You moved her?" he'd expected to sound angry but only sounded dead instead as he moved to his infant daughter on their bed. His bespectacled partner didn't offer him any kind of real answer, after a blank empty look of her own she returned to routing around in their closet making a mess that the Uchiha didn't have it in himself to care about. Everything was already a mess anyway.

Or almost everything he amended internally as the baby girl on the bed gave a coo up at him in excitement as he bent over to check on her.

"What are you doing Karin?" he tried again in his same dead tone shooting her back a look as she dug through old possessions and letters, emptying boxes onto the carpeted floor and shoving the contents aside in her frantic search.

"It's not here." the redhead hissed finally pulling her head out of the closet long enough to glare at him, she'd lost her glasses in there somehow not that he was completely surprised but it never ceased to bother him how much less like herself she seemed without them.

"What's not here?" The Uchiha asked running a hand through his unkempt hair as he made his way over to his partner hunkering down to her level as she twisted around on herself to clinging her knees and shaking. He should have known not to, would have realized it if he'd slept an hour in the last two days.

The sound of the slap echoed in his ears far sooner than his mind caught up to the actual stinging pain and he gingerly touched his swollen lip before Sarada's soft wail brought him back to life.

"You're off your medication again." he still didn't sound alive, not even to himself as he stood mechanically and retrieved the container of the little pills from their bedside locker. He shushed his daughter and lifted her to his chest before he tossed the Uzumaki woman her drugs. They wouldn't make her better, not really, just lessen her spells of mania, leave her exhausted when she had a spell but closer to functional.

Karin stared at the bottle she'd snatched up for a few minutes. Then she snarled and flung it at them the bottle snapping open when it collided with the wall and sending bright ugly pills raining over the carpet.

"That's not it! Not it! Not it!" she shrieked curling back around herself as the Uchiha tried to soothe the baby in his arms. He really didn't need this now, but Sarada needed to be there for it far less so he moved for the door.

"Where are you going!?" she'd stood back up now, her amber eyes wide and panicked and for a moment she looked like Karin again.

"Where do you think I'm going Karin." he shot out offended but still dead sounding as Sarada began to quiet a little in his arms, he failed to notice the glare the redhead offered her daughter at first but once he did he began to feel an old familiar bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"You can go, but leave _it_ here." the Uzumaki woman ordered flipping her hair back as she stared at the father and daughter stone faced. There was a moment of silence as the rain outside picked up and Sasuke tried to control his breathing if only for his daughter's sake.

"What did you say." he hissed sharply feeling the muscles in his back and shoulders coil tight as vices as all the built up anger and resentment he'd been ignoring tunnelled out unbound. Karin didn't seem to mind any of that though as she crossed her arms appearing almost smug.

" _That_ belongs to me. Leave _it_ here if you're going." she repeated her order her eyes flickering down to the quiet Sarada in something unreadable. Something was rumbling in the older Uchiha's chest though and he could feel it begin to crack.

"Take your fu...just take the pills Karin, and then we'll talk." he growled catching himself as his voice threatened to raise and profanity attempted to infiltrate his point. The redhead shook her head though, snarling at the prospect.

"I don't want the damn pills Sasuke, I don't want any of this!" her eyes had begun to water and for once Sasuke really didn't know who he was talking to any more. There wasn't a line any more it seemed, between Karin and not-Karin, there was just the thing he was staring in the face right now, that he'd been ignoring for too long.

"W-where are you going, I said-" he cut her off with a look, tired and resolved in a way she instantly misread as he adjusted the girl in his arms.

"Sarada needs to be changed." he spoke dead voiced again quieting the Uzumaki woman's ire for the briefest of moments as he softly opened the hall door and made for the baby's room. He clicked the lock shut on the door, for the first time since they'd moved in.

"I'm sorry." Sarada didn't offer him an answer, or at least not a verbal one as one of her hand's chubby fingers gripped his bangs tightly as pulled softly, refusing to let go even as Sasuke settled her onto the soft red blanket Naruto had given him. His wife had apparently knit it herself, the blonde had all the luck.

"Papa's going to make things better okay? You just need to let go of my hair." at another time he would have felt silly for negotiating with a baby, but right now it felt so unlike himself that it was a relief, he was tired of himself right now. The girl's giggles seemed to drown out the anger Karin had managed to stir up but left him feeling empty instead, or maybe more sad than empty. The older Uchiha managed to fish out his cell phone as his daughter finally released him.

There was only one person to call.

"Hey, I'm not available right now. So you know how it is, leave a beep after the message and I'll-" whatever else the recorded Naruto Uzumaki was going to say was cut off as Sasuke ended the call and resisted the urge to thrown the phone in frustration. Only one person and they weren't answering, he didn't exactly have a lot more options. An old pervert or a woman he'd cruelly rejected and hadn't spoken with since Naruto's wedding.

"The hell Sasuke, do you know what time it is? This better not be some drunk booty call, I'll have you know I-" he should have called Kakashi he realized belatedly as he groaned into the phone none too subtly and leaned back over Sarada's cot. The girl used the opportunity to yank his hair again...and that comforted him.

"Sakura. I...need your help." the rambling girl had been silenced by his withering groan and remained quiet for a couple of more seconds. Then her voice returned steady and serious.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" so he told her, starting from the middle and jumping around as his scrambled mind tried to order the story somewhat coherently. He didn't do that well but Sakura was clever enough to put it altogether.

She was there within the hour and for the first time in too many days he passed out asleep in Sakura's car uncaring that he looked a like a broken down mess and completely content in the sight of Sarada safe in his friend's arms.

* * *

Flashback episode...em well chapter. I thought it was unfair to only leave Karin as a quick cameo in the last chapter so I thought an interlude was called for. Flesh out her and Sasuke a bit.

Sorry about the severe amount of smoking here. I wanted to use something to highlight her self destructive tendencies with the worries of turning out like the rest of her family hanging over her from an early age and I thought it fit better than something like drinking. It's a bad habit and should be avoided if possible...no matter how cool it may be.

Hope you enjoyed.

R&R


	5. Chap 4 The Hazards of Excitement

Disclaimer; No, I don't own Naruto. Not in any way.

Review responses;

Whitney; To clarify it wasn't that Hinata didn't know Karin was an Uzumaki, it's that she never sprung to mind as Sarada's mother. I hinted in the last chapter that with the exception of Sasuke- and Sakura who she'd been talking to on account of being pregnant- Karin didn't like most of Naruto's friends and wouldn't have interacted much with Hinata. Sorry I didn't make that clearer though.

Leyla; Well honestly thank you, I'm happy to know you've offered me a second chance even though my earlier stuff was not to your liking. I hope I continue to improve and I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story.

Chapter Four;

* * *

There was a lot of things he hated, and that list had grown the older he had gotten. Crowds were always near the top though, accompanied by bright flashing lights and oppressive noise so it was a wonder how he'd wound up here. He loved his daughter though, so he could handle a carnival or two for her sake and besides that the company wasn't so bad.

Hinata Hyuuga flashed him a small smile near his shoulder before she returned to waving at her children on the ride, Boruto ignored it but Himawari returned the wave through her gleeful cackling in a way that made her seem nothing like her mother, if only for a moment. He spotted his own daughter and felt himself nodding to her...which if he remembered his father's manner correctly was the Uchiha manner of showing enthusiasm. For the first time he felt like he should probably work on that.

"S-She's so brave! N-Neji always had to coax me onto these." the Hyuuga shared conspiratorially after a moment and he wondered not for the first time just how perceptive the docile woman was, because it seemed like she was comforting him. Not that she could have known that the first time he'd been on a ride at the fun fair he'd clung to Itachi half hysterical and that may have coloured his future outlook more than a little.

He elected not to share.

"Is that a hint, Hinata?" he asked back in turn almost calling her 'Hyuuga' except for how suddenly _wrong_ that it would have felt to do so. He felt a smirk forming as he watched confusion pass briefly over the woman's features before embarrassment set in instead. He hadn't known many women so bashful.

"I, wait, no, t-that's not. Ano I'm t-too old f-for..." she was going around in circles and it allowed the Uchiha to realize that while she may not have intended her comment to be a hint she definitely did want to be coaxed onto some of the attractions. The children's ride had ended so he had little time to consider his next action.

As Sasuke often did he went with instinct.

"What about the big wheel?" he asked brushing his hand through his hair in an obvious display of false casualness that thankfully went unnoticed by Hinata, perhaps if only because the Hyuuga's face had erupted in an even brighter shade of red.

She also seemed to have lost the ability to speak.

"Um...what's next?" Boruto asked leading the other's towards their parents and opting to ignore his slightly brighter than usual mother in favour of finding his next adrenaline rush. Sarada looked more interested though.

"The big wheel." Sasuke answered drawing a groan from the eldest of the Uzumaki's and a positively predatory look from his own daughter. He poked her on the forehead to dispel that drawing a snort and giggle from Boruto and Himawari and a blushing glare from Sarada...he'd probably regret that later.

"It's so slow." bemoaned the blonde boy rubbing the back of his head unhappily, he was sharply elbowed in the ribs by Sarada.

"It's the _highest_ ride though, I want to go on it." Sarada interjected chorused by Himawari as she squeezed her way through them to stand with her mother again, it seemed enough to restart Hinata's mind as she spluttered and blinked.

"I love the big wheel." the Hyuuga woman found herself saying glancing at Sasuke then away just as quickly to take her daughter's hand instead, her cheeks were still dusted scarlet and she seemed almost half her age as both of the Uchiha's took the lead both seeming oddly proud of themselves.

"There's hope for you yet Papa." the younger Uchiha remarked muffled by the noise of the crowds surrounding them even as close as her father elected to remain to her. It earned her a look.

"What was that?" asked the other Uchiha certain that his daughter was up to something as she radiated a jubilant sort of giddiness that he'd have enjoyed if it didn't remind him of Naruto just before he'd pull something uncomfortable on Kakashi.

"Hope you have fun Sasuke." Sarada shot back before winking and catching a hold of Boruto, both disappeared behind him for a moment and were soon replaced by a slightly nervous Hinata. She smiled and rubbed one wrist gently with her other hand.

"No grown ups allowed apparently." she offered shrugging seemingly unconcerned but still shooting a look back out of the corner of her eye.

"She's planning something." grumbled the dark haired man frowning maybe a bit too dire as the pale girl tapped his shoulder slightly in an admonishing sort of way giving him an amused but judgemental look.

"You shouldn't be suspicious of your own daughter." Hinata commented though she was still smiling as they reached the vendor for the big wheel. A quick but silent argument occurred where Hinata tried to get the tickets and Sasuke paid for them playing the assertive card. He was offered promises of next time he lightly committed to. They passed the tickets back.

Two minutes later as a relieved Hinata waved back from their small carriage at the three children in the one behind them Sasuke realized what his daughter had been planning.

"W-why do they have to a-act so grown up." the pouting Hyuuga complained sitting down next to him with a gentle sigh. He could see in Hinata a genuine love of being a mother and had noted on more than one occasion a sentimental kind of sadness whenever her children seemed older than she wanted them to be, from either genuinely growing up or pushing it falsely. Maybe that's why he didn't tell her about Boruto's zombie movie or Sarada trying coffee.

"I don't know if ditching your parent's is exactly grown up." commented Sasuke earning a mild giggle before her brows dropped low in a new realization and she whined softly.

"N-no! It's worse, S-Sasuke! That's what t-t-teenagers do!" her fingers had clasped and she shook her shoulders pouting. It reminded him of their spatula and pop-tarts 'conversation'.

"You're right, they're probably smoking and drinking back there. Or joining a gang." returned the Uchiha raising an eyebrow at Hinata as she blushed anew and none too subtly glanced back at her children's car again. There weren't any signs of rowdy partying though.

"Y-you're making fun of me." she whined back but not angrily. Her eyes seemed slightly a light in the dark air reflecting the brightness of the amusements now below them more fluidly than the Uchiha thought a person's eyes were supposed to.

"Only a little." he answered still looking only at her and not the view they'd apparently came for. Hinata's plain full lips stretched out a little into what could have been a smirk but was more likely a grin.

"Y-you're missing the v-view." she offered after a moment, when they'd passed the halfway point and he'd had yet to look outside the carriage or away from the woman next to him. He'd always possessed a one track sort of mind.

"Right." it was his turn to be embarrassed looking away, he missed the disappointment on Hinata's features as he did so.

Elbows warm for their sole contact together they each stared out a different window of the carriage at the lights below and above them.

* * *

Sarada wasn't sure what to make of her current situation. On one hand it was her first couch potato day with her father, wrapped up in her favourite blanket and still in her pyjamas with a video game courtesy of Boruto set up in front of her. On the other...

"Achoo!" her glasses jumped on her nose as she sneezed roughly sniffling miserably. Silently Sasuke passed her a tissue and returned to the oversized book he'd been shuffling about in for the last half an hour.

"Sank you." the girl returned burying her nose in the paper and pausing the game. The problem with her current perfect couch day was that she was also sick as a dog and it made enjoying the little things in life quite difficult. Her father's dark eyes observed her for a silent moment, possibly worried that she needed another tissue.

"Do you want some soup?" he asked after a moment when his daughter coughed lightly and groaned to herself.

"Um, no, thank you." answered the dark haired girl her eyes darting to the side suspiciously.

"Hinata brought it over this morning." he added evenly causing his daughter's attention to shoot back to him. There was a quiet moment.

"Yes...please." Sarada answered meekly surprised when a small half smile creased the side of the older Uchiha's face. He was only just out of sight before Sarada shifted her attention to something more exciting than her game, namely snooping.

The book as it turns out was a photo album, something that Sarada wouldn't have thought her father was exactly big on. The page he'd marked it on was in hindsight unsurprisingly filled with pictures of herself, from the bunch that Hinata had gifted him with. There were still none of both Uchiha's together though and that caused Sarada to frown thoughtfully.

"The soup's heating up now." the ever grim voice of her father caused Sarada to jump as he spoke just over her shoulder. The album landed on the carpeted floor dully and the girl squeaked turning back on her father, fortunately the older Uchiha was still wearing the same half smirk as before.

"You're allowed to look, if you want." he added unimpressed at his blushing daughter as she snatched up the album with an air of coveting to her. The older Uchiha tussled her hair as a minor punishment, Sarada pouted and opened the photo album on it's first page instead.

"It's not as much fun, if I'm allowed." remarked the girl. The first page was a couple, a wedding photo and them with a baby. It was probably her grandparents Sarada figured, the woman bore a strong resemblance to her father and probably herself too she imagined and while not nearly as similar she could see some of her father in the man too, mostly in the way he held himself.

"My parents, your grandmother and grandfather." she wasn't sure what to make of the tone in her father's voice at that moment, it made him sound somehow younger. She wondered if they acted how they looked. She could picture the woman acting like she'd seen Hinata so many times, warm and soft baking in the kitchen or comforting someone gently and the man acting maybe a little like her father, careful, withdrawn and impossible to read unless you knew him well and watched carefully.

She flicked a few more pages through the album as Sasuke went to check on the soup. There weren't many more photos of her grandfather but plenty of her grandmother and two boys, one of which she knew to be her father. He was, for lack of a better word, adorable looking Sarada discovered; the way he hung out of his older brother reminded her of Himawari and Boruto which was a hard thing to process.

"I didn't know you had a brother." Sarada spoke up as her father returned with a bowl of what smelled enough like Hinata's chicken soup that the younger Uchiha could already feel her cold vanishing. Her father paused in a step, he didn't say anything even when he moved again.

"What happened to them?" she asked as he sat down next to her again careful not to pin her blanket. Sarada cuddled over anyway planting the album in her father's lap.

"It was...there was an accident." he answered hesitating a little in what he said, somehow she knew that would be all she got and after how things had turned out with her mother she wasn't eager to push the older Uchiha for the truth. Her soup was still too hot when she went to taste it.

"I know him." Sarada spoke up after a few more pages when it came to a distinct lack of Uchiha's, instead it was just her father and a familiar silver haired man who kept his face hidden in all the pictures she saw; a scarf in one, an orange book in another and an actual mask even in one.

"Kakashi? He looked after me, after the incident." her father responded and she didn't comment on how the accident had become an incident. Her father looked a little more like himself in these pictures, more sullen and she could again see the resemblance between them both.

"We've been to his farm a few times. I never knew he raised you, he was always just Uncle Kakashi." Sarada explained wondering back to the eccentric older man that had taken her and Boruto horse riding and always just seemed to show up whenever there was trouble.

"I wouldn't say raised exactly...but that explains his offer for a visit." Sasuke answered as his daughter slid away to enjoy her soup. He'd been a little hesitant to take Sarada to see the infamous Hatake, not before he'd visited himself first and made sure the man hid all of his erotic fiction. His daughter, he had come to learn, had a habit of snooping and a talent for finding things she shouldn't.

"I'd like that...would it just be us?" she asked after savouring mouthful of the soup, she'd make Hinata teach her the recipe one of these days...or make her teach Sasuke it. That would be funnier to watch.

"Probably, why?" Sasuke asked closing his book of memories and setting it aside very carefully.

"It would be better with company...our own ages." Sarada added hoping she didn't need to be more specific than that. Kakashi's farm up north was a lot of things but beyond anything it could be quite beautiful, more so than even a Ferris wheel surrounded by lights.

"It would be." he answered humming slightly to himself, Sarada went back to her soup again before she was absorbed in another sneezing fit.

* * *

"Hi." she was surprised when he actually managed to hear her turning to blink wildly at her and tilting his head. He settled down the weapon he held in his single hand a moment later and pulled off the earmuffs stalking a little closer to her. They were alone at the gun range otherwise but she didn't question the approach.

"Hinata, how- what are you doing here?" he asked after a moment frowning. She shrugged cutely back smiling a little shyly.

"I was l-looking for y-you, they s-said you were here." she answered honestly though perhaps a little carefully, if that bothered the Uchiha though he didn't let it show. He'd returned to his table and his weapon changing the clip surprisingly gracefully for a man with only a single hand.

"I see. Is something wrong?" he asked in return laying the weapon flat on the table.

"No, no. A-are you g-going b-back to being a s-soldier." she asked after a minute drawing closer to the man. She glanced at his target, set quite far back in the range. For being a lefty he seemed to shoot very well with his right hand she couldn't help but think.

"No, that wouldn't really work. They've offered me an instructing position." he said it like a death sentence and Hinata pondered on the possibilities of how the position had been offered. With Sasuke here at the base's gun range, by all accounts an hour into his session, with a target with holes in it's head and heart she had to imagine the conversation had hurt his pride. But maybe she was just projecting, memories of hours spent on an old piano striving for perfection after a harsh word from her own father.

"I t-think you w-would be g-good at it." she spoke up earning herself an unreadable look for a moment but no response from the sullen man. So she took it a step further, Hinata picked up the gun.

"S-s-show me how t-this w-works." her statement was met with a look of near incomprehension that had Hinata shivering before the Uchiha strode away. He returned a moment later with a second pair of earmuffs, the blushing Hyuuga accepted them but didn't put them on just yet.

"First stand like you were going to punc-to push someone over." started the Uchiha an eyebrow of his raising as the Hyuuga took the stated stance...which was less than what Sasuke was hoping for on account of Hinata having never pushed anyone over let alone punched anyone. He made her adjust.

"L-like this?" she asked feeling unnaturally...aggressive with the balance and firmness of how Sasuke had her standing. She felt fierce, like a lioness, but the thought caused her to giggle with the look her instructor gave her.

"That's definitely better, you can pick it up now." she did with the approval of the Uchiha. The dark intricate metal was both lighter and heavier than she expected it to be, and so much warmer. The remnants of Sasuke's warmth she knew, sunk into the handle after the prolonged use.

"That's good. Don't lock your elbows though." he'd moved slightly around her as he spoke his fingers tapping her here and there, raising the gun, straightening her posture little things that felt like so much more when his voice came in a hushed whisper in her ear drum.

"Countdown from ten, then squeeze the trigger." his whisper came again. She felt him raising her earmuffs, up from where they hung around her neck to cover both ears snugly and then she counted.

She felt strong and weak at once as she squeezed the trigger. Like a storm that had been building all the nervous energy and excitement in her seemed ready to boil over just as the weapon kicked in her hand, breaking the storm within her. It hit the target in the shoulder and she let loose a shaky breath.

"Empty it." the man behind her commanded sharply and she followed squeezing the trigger over and over after smaller and smaller intervals until it clicked empty in her hands. Hinata let the gun land on the table a little shakily as her hands felt numb and turned around pulling off her ear protection. Sasuke was still pretty close to her.

"So why were you looking for me Hinata?" he asked after a moment but still much too soon for the Hyuuga's heart to have completely calmed down. She blinked up at him, her eyelashes fluttering wildly as she grinned almost drunkenly up at him. She blushed and shook herself steady willing herself control.

"Oh, i-it's kind of s-silly b-but...there was s-something I w-wanted to a-ask you." the Hyuuga began pulling at the treads of her silky hair that fell over her shoulder absent-mindedly.

"You could have called." he remarked evenly still as close to her as he had been when he was instructing her. Hinata nodded, then shrugged and then looked up resolute.

"N-no it's s-something I w-wanted to a-ask in person." the Hyuuga asserted offering him a small smile. The Uchiha nodded and then waited.

"M-my s-sister's having an e-engagement p-party this weekend, so I, I m-mean I..." the pale woman trailed off momentarily returning to her hair pulling with a light blush. Sasuke decided to help her out.

"I don't mind watching the children Hinata." he offered running a hand through his own messy hair, his comment had an instant reaction on the Hyuuga though as she stammered a response and shook her head giggling lightly.

"N-no, t-that's not. I w-wanted to ask y-you to i-it...I h-have a p-plus o-one." the red faced Hinata offered her eyes shooting down to her feet to avoid the quiet man's expression. After a moment she felt his fingers on her chin, gently coaxing her eyes back up to his.

"We'll need a different babysitter then." answered the dark eyed man simply moving back out of the Hyuuga's space after a second his lips turning up minutely at the corner, he seemed far less tense then when she'd found him. Once his back was turned Hinata found herself smiling brightly trailing after her would be date.

* * *

That's chapter five, hope everyone's still enjoying it. Sorry about the delay, my keyboard had an unfortunate encounter with a cup of coffee that set me back.

R&R


	6. Chap 5 The Hazards of Confrontation

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own Naruto, not at all.

Chapter Five;

* * *

There was a lot of things Sasuke Uchiha had faced down in his time on the Earth, things lesser men and quite likely more sane men wouldn't have been able to overcome. But he had, no matter how life knocked him down he always got back up.

"Should have bought clip ons." The Uchiha cursed to himself glaring at his reflection as he tried unsuccessfully to sort out his tie with only one hand. Sat on the bed his daughter snickered at him, even more so when she saw his completely exasperated expression.

"Can I help?" she offered after a minute standing up on the bed on shaky legs as her father stepped across the room to her. She steadied herself for a moment with his shoulder and drew the silky tie off him tying it deftly with a surprisingly skilled hand on herself.

"Where did you learn that?" asked Sasuke after a moment when Sarada slipped the tie over his neck tightening it with a look of careful concentration patting down his shirt.

"Boruto had to wear a tie to a wedding last year, he never really got the hang of it." answered the girl plopping back down onto the bed. Idly Sasuke wondered just who'd gotten married, but didn't linger long on the thought...there wasn't that many people that he cared whether or not they got married.

Sasuke offered her a smirk that his daughter returned.

"You look good Papa." offered the younger Uchiha rocking on her spot.

"Right, you ready?" he asked ignoring the awkwardness of being complimented, he wasn't really used to that anymore. Sarada would be staying at Hinata's for the night under the care of some friend of Hinata's that the girl had said was kind of crazy...with a smile.

"More or less." answered Sarada her eyes flickering to the corner of her eye, it was more than a bit of a give-away.

"What's the less part?" her father asked checking his phone as a distraction when his daughter started her cute routine. The girl bounced onto her feet after a split second when it became obvious she wasn't going to distract him.

"Give me five minutes." she grumbled trudging off to her room to get, more or less everything. She'd been a lot more concerned with making sure the older Uchiha was decently prepared for his evening with Hinata than getting her own stuff ready.

Sasuke followed her an eyebrow raised as he leaned in her door frame watching as his daughter shoved several items haphazardly into a backpack. That was definitely the Uzumaki in her and he didn't mind that, not even a little.

"Coat." he remarked as Sarada made her way for the door. She insisted she didn't need one, he insisted she did. The pattern continued until Sasuke grabbed the coat and dumped it onto his daughter's head. She didn't appreciate it all that much.

The walk was uneventful, mostly, as Sarada watched the streets she'd grown much more comfortable with since her first rough night with her father. She hadn't walked the same way she had that night since then, Hinata and the Uzumaki's home was in the opposite direction, her school was in the same direction, everything was really. She didn't care what was the way she almost went.

The brunette that answered the door to Hinata's home could have been described as plain, with her tied up mahogany hair, simple red cardigan, well worn jeans and her unmade but pretty features. She could have been called plain, but one would have to ignore her almost crazy wild eyes.

"Ah the Uchiha's, come on in." invited the brunette cracking a grin as she rustled Sarada's hair when the girl tried to pass her, it earned her the traditional family scowl. Children's voices rung out from the living room as Sarada disappeared into the living room, Sasuke paused by the supposed babysitter though eyeing her up carefully to take her measure.

"I thought you were here to take Hinata out." remarked the woman easily, somehow sensing his eyes on her and intentionally misreading the meaning behind the look. Her eyes twinkled just a little as her lips crooked up in a fiendish smirk. Sasuke followed her towards the kitchen.

"Funny. I didn't catch your name." he returned dryly taking a seat across from the brunette as they awaited Hinata together. He was surprised Hinata wasn't already ready, she tended to avert the stereotype more often than not but it seemed her sisters engagement party was a special occasion.

"Tenten, and you're the infamous Sasuke. Hinata makes you sound taller." answered the woman smiling a lopsided grin, there was some tinkering from upstairs but no sign of Hinata.

"Guess I'm at a disadvantage then, I don't know very much about you." he hadn't meant for it to so biting, but he didn't usually mean for things to sound as cruel as they usually came out. He tended to make bad first impressions, but the brunette didn't seem like she took it all that badly.

"A woman's nothing without a little mystery." She remarked easily her coy smile still in place.

"Anyway I better check on her. She's probably still debating over the white dress, the off-white dress or the off off-white dress." spoke Tenten with a light giggle lifting herself from her seat as if she weighed half a ton before donning a look of detestation as she stalked from the kitchen.

Sasuke took the opportunity to poke his head into the living room but only Himawari noticed him. The older pair were seeming embroiled in a video game both smashing the buttons on their controllers relentlessly as the youngest Uzumaki scrambled her way over to the Uchiha man throwing her arms up as if for a hug. Sasuke blinked at her.

"Pick me up." demanded the smaller copy of Hinata a lot more audacious than her mother would be. Sasuke raised an eyebrow but found himself quickly drawn into lifting the girl onto his hip.

"Hiya." greeted the girl once she was up to eye level waving a chubby hand as her brother's head shot around long enough to acknowledge his presence before he returned to his game.

"Hi." remarked Sasuke in turn turning around when he heard someone on the stairs behind them. Sasuke almost dropped the girl in his arm at the sight.

He couldn't have said which of the off white dresses it was that Hinata had opted for but it was clearly the right choice. She held an air of near casual perfection to her, her dark hair and stockings creating a strong contrast with her pale skin and the dress fluttering around her legs. She offered them a smile as she descended the stairs elegantly, an illusion that was swiftly broken as her friend appeared behind her shoving her lightly and muttering something to her. The result was a blushing Hyuuga scrambling for the banister a little less elegantly.

It did draw a laugh from Himawari though and a smirk from Sasuke.

"You l-look nice." She remarked sounding almost surprised as she reached the bottom of the stairs only pausing momentarily to shoot her brunette friend a somewhat nasty look. Himawari seemed to agree voicing a vague agreement as she pulled at his tie a bit loosening it slightly.

"Ya, you too." he could have done better, maybe, but voicing his honest opinions on how great the woman in front of him actually looked could have made things awkward. Briefly Sasuke wondered when he'd started avoiding saying things that might discomfort others, it was definitely new.

"I sh-should say good n-night to the o-others." the Hyuuga spoke softly moving to pass her daughter and the Uchiha but pausing long enough to plant a soft kiss on her youngest's forehead.

"Alright, I'll take the princess then." commented Tenten trailing her friend as Sasuke less than subtly watched Hinata until she'd disappeared from view.

"I'm a queen not a princess." the pouting Uzumaki grumbled to the brunette as she swapped carriages to the smiling woman instead, earning an agreeable laugh from the woman.

"Queen Himawari, I like it." remarked the brunette easily, passing the Uchiha as she made to return her charge to the living room. She paused just for a second leaning in close to Sasuke, her amber eyes twinkling mischievously.

"No funny business with my girl tonight now, or I'll kick your ass." the brunette warned drawing a series of giggles from Himawari, likely aided by the Uchiha's own startled expression.

"Bye Sasuke, bye mommy." the little girl crackled as she and her caretaker vanished into the living room just as Hinata returned smiling shyly as she eyed her date carefully her wide eyes blinking owlishly.

"T-Tenten didn't s-say anything w-weird did she?" asked the Hyuuga woman, checking her bag once over before she nodded towards the door. Hinata certainly had her suspicions about what her friend might have said, Tenten had been ecstatic to hear she was going on a date and had shown up that evening with an interesting gift. What the brunette had called a date pack, massage oils, scented candles...condoms and some other items Hinata only vaguely recognized but was certain she'd never need.

She'd thrown the kit at Tenten's head but it had mysteriously reappeared on her bed a half hour later.

"Not particularly." Sasuke wasn't the type to whine about a little threat, there'd been a point in time when he'd regarded threats as more or less greetings of course. Hinata didn't look quiet convinced but led him to her compact car anyway rummaging for the keys.

The inside of the car was remarkably Hinata like the Uchiha found, and not simply because he found himself engulfed in her simple but pleasant scent once he was settled inside...and had pulled one of Himawari's stuffed toys out from behind his back. It was small but comfortable, controlled in a way almost everything about the Hyuuga woman seemed to be, as if she owned some small world of her own, separate but contained in this one, that she was master of.

"How do you know each other?" he asked after a moment once the vehicle had hummed to life and pulled out onto the darkened road. Hinata giggled a little and he awaited her explanation silently.

"S-she was a f-friend of my c-cousins, s-she always b-been p-protective. S-she beat up s-some b-bullies w-when we first m-met." their was a twinkle in Hinata's eyes and Sasuke recalled someone mentioning the Hyuuga being hounded by bullies in her youth. Sakura probably, but it could have been Naruto.

"Sounds like a good friend to have." he offered back trying to remember anyone like that in his own past. There wasn't really, both Uzumaki's he'd known probably had thought they were like that, but in reality both Karin and Naruto tended to get him into more fights that they resolved.

They spent the rest of the trip in relative silence, listening to the hum of the radio as Hinata tuned it to some melodious classic channel and the Uchiha watched the passing street lamps. He only made a single remark about the Hyuuga's overtly careful 'grandmother' style driving earning him a disgruntled pout.

The venue they arrived at was more run-down than Sasuke had been expecting of Hinata's wealthy family and he wondered if the families standing had dropped significantly since before his accident. It was more comforting in an odd way, less separate from ordinary life as he'd expected a Hyuuga engagement party to be.

The table they were shown to however re-enforced that feeling of separation that the Uchiha associated with families of import. He and Hinata were left blinking dully at the place cards that had them sitting at a table with several monitors.

"F-father p-put us at the s-skype table." Hinata sounded a strange mix of sad and relieved at her observation and Sasuke found himself feeling a little less special about the invite. Of course Hinata had invited him if she thought she'd be left at a table filled with monitors for relatives too far away to attend in person.

He resolved to glare at the table and sent another in the general direction of the Hyuuga patriarch where he was greeting other guests.

"E-e-excuse me S-Sasuke." he didn't react fast enough and by the time he'd caught up Hinata had already disappeared into the women's bathroom and he received a few odd looks from people nearby followed by whispers.

Awkwardly he made his way to the cigarette machine nearby, it wasn't often he smoked any more, without Karin's influence and mindful of his own on Sarada but he suddenly needed something. He couldn't exactly get drunk at the party so as much as he'd appreciate a stiff drink he resolved for a cigarette instead. He picked Karin's brand, because he wasn't thinking and it was a habit he'd forgotten to shake.

Ten minute's passed but Hinata still didn't appear and the Uchiha found himself slipping out the fire exit.

The cigarette was only just lit and dangling from his lips when he heard the commotion and lazily rounded a corner to find one well dressed woman struggling over her bag with a scraggly looking man. Konoha had really gone to the dogs Sasuke had to admit.

'Hey buddy, pick on someone your own size?' he considered but...no much too Naruto. He considered a couple of more lines before going with a simple shout startling the strangers and allowing the woman to snatch her bag back to herself. The man rounded on him at the disturbance and started towards him prompting the Uchiha to flick his cigarette and watch with a raised eyebrow...namely the woman behind the would be mugger.

The man was still two steps away when the well dressed woman had snatched up the lid of a garbage can hammering the edge of the makeshift weapon into the back of the man's head. He crumpled under the hit, like a puppet devoid of it's strings. The Uchiha flicked away some more ash.

"Damn asshole." the woman with a startling similarity to Hinata hissed stepping over the man very unlike the gentle Hyuuga he knew offering him a look, an outstretched hand and a smile.

"Hanabi Hyuuga, nice to meet you." she greeted politely despite the unconscious man behind them, he accepted the hand.

"Sasuke, I'm here for your party actually. With your sister." the Uchiha explained snuffing out his cigarette and joining the woman in the walk back to the front of the venue. He failed to notice the way the younger Hyuuga's eyes lit up though at his comment.

"Really, you're Hinata's boyfriend!" the excited voice began accompanied by a wide toothy grin that failed to deflate despite his protests to the contrary.

* * *

They were no longer sitting at the skype table. Once Sasuke had found his way back inside with the bride to be he'd found himself quickly ushered to the main table under Hanabi's vehement insistence that their earlier seating was either a mistake or someone's cruel attempt at a joke. The Uchiha didn't quite believe that but gave it little more thought once he was settled down near to a very displeased looking Hiashi Hyuuga.

Hinata arrived within a minute or two wide eyed and more confused than Sasuke had ever had the pleasure of seeing her. It was a cute look on her.

"W-what happened?" she hissed to him in a critical whisper once she'd regained some of her bearings. Hanabi was on one side, talking adamantly and questioning Hinata whether or not she had any pictures of the kids and on the other side Hiashi glowered darkly at both of them. Sasuke couldn't tell which one of them scared Hinata more.

"I met your sister outside." Sasuke answered but it wasn't anything satisfactory for Hinata as she woodenly passed her phone to her sister, a photo of their three children on holiday. It was probably something she would have thought better about in another situation. Hanabi was left blinking at the photo of the niece and nephew she seemingly didn't know and Sasuke's own daughter before she started coming to...interesting conclusions.

"Is she...your daughter?" the younger Hyuuga asked pushing the picture before both guests. Sasuke immediately answered in the affirmative, Hinata answered more vaguely confused and Hiashi seemed as if he had just swallowed a bug. A very large angry bug.

"Hinata...a moment in private please." Hiashi barked standing and drawing the rooms immediate attention with his tall commanding presence.

"Hanabi. What exactly is...that." he wasn't sure exactly what else to call it as Hinata was led a little away from the table before Hiashi rounded on her furious. The younger sibling blinked a little at the one sided quarrel and sighed deeply.

"Dad's a control freak. He hasn't spoken to Hinata since she, went against him to marry Naruto. He's probably jumping to conclusions, about you and her." the woman remarked sounding distantly disgusted but turning away from the sight to speak with her soon to be husband instead.

Sasuke wasn't interested in a distraction though, something about the way Hiashi towered over his daughter was unsettling the Uchiha and he found himself rising from his own seat ignoring Hanabi's attempt to redraw him into conversation.

Hiashi glanced at him with unveiled distaste and muttered something to Hinata as he approached. Whatever Sasuke might have said to the man though evaporated as Hinata moved, fast and vicious her right hand snaked through the air cracking against her father's cheek and sending his face whipping the opposite direction. Everything in the room seemed to stop suddenly except Hinata as she all but stamped away towards the Uchiha leaving a crowd of statues behind her.

"L-let's g-go!" the normally meek woman hissed shooting her father another dark look as she grasped his arm in some kind of emphasis dragging him through the room. Hinata's sister waved woodenly as they passed...though oddly she was smiling.

"So...what was that about?" the Uchiha asked after a moment as the cool air kissed their skin and they neared Hinata's compact car.

"I s-shouldn't have. I m-mean I d-did. B-but he's urrhh." the Hyuuga gave a small stamp of her feet, looking for all the world like an enraged kitten but not without her claws. The car door clicked open as Sasuke considered his next words carefully. He'd noticed the small unshed tears in the corner of the woman's eyes.

"What did he say?" for the life of him Sasuke couldn't imagine what Hiashi might have said to prompt such a reaction from Hinata, which left only one option.

"H-he s-said something a-about the, my c-children." the small woman growled clutching her steering wheel with white knuckles and an air of quiet fury.

Sasuke wondered if that statement included Sarada.

* * *

Weeks later.

"I-I'm very-" before Hinata could finish her apology Sasuke had cut across her, one fake and one real arm crossed. His body language screamed authority and as such seemed to drain whatever measure of it Principle Ebisu had possessed prior.

"What happened?" commanded the Uchiha entirely ignoring the school head and instead focusing his attention of Boruto- nursing a swollen eye- and Sarada- gingerly licking her split lip.

"I've told you already, they were fighting mister Uchiha." the principal spoke up before either teen could drawing Sasuke's silently hostile look on him. There was a moment where the dumbfounded administrator withered beneath the dark man's look. The only other parent in the room offered Ebisu a sympathetic look that only seemed to make matters worse for him.

"I wasn't asking you. And I meant the circumstances leading up to the altercation." Sasuke clarified slowly, in the way one might speak to a small child grating on Ebisu's last nerve.

"Fighting is not permitted regardless of the circumstances mister Uchiha. I've already explained this in detail to both..." Ebisu found himself trailing off slightly as the other man's expression turned darker and more sinister at his words. He was more than used to screaming, bickering and angry parents...but there was something deeply unsettling about this silently angry man and his judging stare.

"I'll take my daughter now. In the future contact me before...subjugating my daughter to any lectures. Raise any grievances with me first." the Uchiha had leaned over the table threateningly as he made his demand glowering. He was joined a moment later by the gentler Hyuuga smiling shyly and almost slyly at the principle.

"I agree P-principle Ebisu, p-please contact me f-first in the f-future. It r-really s-should be a p-parent giving t-these t-talks." the demure woman spoke much softer but no less forcefully to the man leaving him blinking confused when his office emptied out.

"I think the pervy principle almost shit himself." Boruto hissed as soon as he and Sarada were secure in the back of his mother's car. He hadn't spoken quietly enough though as Sarada shushed him and Hinata turned upset.

"D-don't talk l-like t-that Bolt." Hinata scolded her son with pursed lips, an effect ruined by Sasuke's snort. Two impressionable pairs of eyes watched as Hinata turned to the older Uchiha instead squeaking an annoyed 'what' in his direction.

"He was staring down your top half that meeting." Sasuke explained leaning in to whisper it to the pale woman and sending her cheeks exploding in scarlet as she stammered back a response. The Uchiha smirked at the embarrassed reaction.

"So, why did you get into a fight?" the Uchiha tried again as Hinata turned attempting to discreetly ensure her chest was not on open display. Both children exchanged a look before Boruto spoke up pouting.

"They were bullying her, shoving and um stuff." the blonde spoke up bashfully not meeting the older Uchiha's eyes. Sasuke turned his attention to his daughter next raising an eyebrow and awaiting her explanation. Sarada stifled a little but explained anyway.

"Then they ganged up on Bolt so I...might have hit one of the with a...chair." the younger Uchiha was blushing subtly as she explained herself, something not helped by Boruto's snicker at the word 'chair' or Hinata strangled exclamation, even her father seemed surprised.

"Right...don't use a chair next time...and wait until after school." Sasuke answered dryly drawing further upset confusion from Hinata as her head whipped around to him instead. She couldn't know that Sasuke was speaking from experience or that he'd been told more or less the same line by Kakashi years ago...she probably wouldn't have approved even if she had known.

"That's it?" asked Sarada eyes wide before her friend elbowed her hissing a comment to shut up and go with it.

"Don't get me wrong, get in a fight for any other reason and we'll be having a different conversation." the older Uchiha answered drawing grins from both pre-teens. This served as Hinata's breaking point as she got a hold of her stammering outrage.

"T-that's, S-Sasuke!" the blushing woman exclaimed in a low whine shaking her head and turning to the children her mind struggling for a way to temper just what the other parent had said to them. She didn't necessarily disagree with what he'd said, rather it was how almost encouraging he was about it all.

"O-okay B-Bolt...did S-Sarada get m-more or l-less h-hurt, f-from w-what you did?" Hinata asked after a small moment turning her son's attention to his bruised friend and bringing a dark frown to the blonde's lips. The blonde was grumbling when he answered, staring down at his feet in mild shame.

"S-see...m-maybe sometimes y-you have to f-fight. B-but only as a l-last r-resort. Y-you'd both be l-less h-hurt if y-you'd went t-to a t-teacher." internally Hinata was gloating to herself as both Boruto and Sarada seemed much more deflated and less proud of themselves.

The confused preteens in the back watched an unusually smug Hinata erupt into even more blushing as Sasuke leaned over and whispered something else into her ear. She was doing that more and more around Sasuke, Boruto had noticed and he also didn't fail to noticed Sarada's calculating expression.

* * *

Sorry for the big delay on this chapter. My keyboard problem turned out to be much more severe and some work related stuff kept me much too busy. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, tried to get more of Hinata and Sasuke in this one so Sarada will likely take the focus again next chapter.


	7. Chap 6 The Hazards of Over Drinking

Disclaimer; Nope, I don't own any of the Naruto, not any of it.

Chapter Six;

* * *

Sarada wasn't sure why she hated being where she was at the current moment, nestled glumly between Boruto and her best friend Chocho, but since she didn't have much more to do at the moment she figured she might as well ponder it. She thought that might have been something she got from Sasuke the longer they were reconnected, the older Uchiha as well seemed to be near constantly trapped in some vague thought or pondering. It was there thing.

Boruto thought the club they were in was just that, something fun that his mother had signed them up for. Chocho seemed to think it was a subtle fat camp her mother had entered her in...something no amount of reasoning would talk the girl out of. Sarada herself knew what it was though, but she didn't really want to tell her friends.

They were the troubled kid's group, and all these friendly teacher's assistants were really watching them for potential psychological issues. Sarada was in particular certain that 'Ino' or miss Yamanaka was either a shrink or a shrink in training.

The young Uchiha had made a game of it for a while, figuring out the back-stories of the other kids, she was nosy like that sometimes. She knew why she was here obviously, and Boruto. Her former orphan-hood and his divorced parents probably hadn't landed them here so much as all the fights they'd...gotten roped into by other people with big mouths.

She thought Chocho might have been bullied from some of the girl's reactions. She could be very defensive at times and her parents weren't exactly subtle at displaying how happy they were to see their daughter with a friend. It was sad in a way, to see someone being grateful for something so natural. Then again if Sarada thought it through she didn't actually have a friend outside of her family before Chocho so they fit well in that way.

There was the bratty girl who insisted she didn't want to be there, that the Uchiha girl had come across one lunch time throwing up in the girl's bathroom. There were half a dozen kids of divorce, a kid with two dads, it was really an insight into the target demographic of bullies. But there was one that she hadn't figured out yet.

"Way to go Mitsuki!" Boruto called to his friend despite the odd boy being the other team's goalkeeper. Today's game of choice for socializing their little group was soccer, something Boruto enjoyed quite a bit but Sarada and Chocho were less in love with.

Mitsuki was the only unknown in the group as far as Sarada was concerned, one way or another she'd learned a lot about the other group members but the young Uchiha still knew next to nothing about the quiet boy. She didn't think Boruto even knew much about him.

"What you doing after school?" Sarada asked her friend, killing time as they waited for their team's turn. Boruto whooped at something beside them before the other girl could answer but whatever it was it went mostly ignored.

"Hmm nothing, my dad's having some party thing tonight. Sounds lame though." Chocho answered resting her chin on her knuckles watching the two teams playing the way someone might watch paint dry.

"You want to come over for a while?" asked the Uchiha. It was the end of the week and she had nothing planned but her father had said something about a friend visiting for the weekend. It was kind of underhanded of her but Sarada thought having a friend around to avoid her father's friend could be handy, just in case it was some weird army buddy.

Sasuke had been almost cheerful this morning about his friend's visit and on the older Uchiha that was an unsettling thing.

"Sure...will Bolt be there?" the second part was whispered by the girl as she leaned in closer, her eye's less than subtly going past Sarada to sneak a look at the Uzumaki boy. Her infatuation was a recent one and one that Sarada doubted would last, the first time Chocho saw the boy wolf down a meal and belch proudly would probably be the end of her crush.

"I don't know, will I ask?" Sarada returned, winking. Because a friend with a crush always needed to be teased whenever possible.

* * *

If it was an old army buddy then Sarada would be very surprised. That was all she could think when she spotted the tiny pink car in the driveway and Chocho snickered and asked if it was her dad's.

"Well he said he was going to get a car, for his condition. But I doubt that's it." answered the Uchiha observing the car. Something about it offended the girl, pink in general did. It just wasn't as good as red and that was too disappointing.

The door creaked open after only one failed attempt and muttered curse and Sarada poked her head in through the doorway glancing about for the intruder on her territory. She missed the inquisitive look her friend sent her at the odd behaviour.

"Are you playing ninja or something?" asked Chocho pouting when her bespectacled friend shushed her and waved for her to follow creeping in through she own front door surprisingly cat like.

Chocho shrugged and followed.

"How was school?" the voice rang out before either of the girl's had spotted anyone causing Sarada to take a jump. A second later Sasuke had appeared from the living room a single eyebrow raised in question.

"It was good mister Uchiha, em, how are you?" Chocho took the initiative to answer as her friend simply muttered a 'Hi Papa' before peaking around her father eyeing the living room.

"Sarada?" Sasuke asked after a moment when his daughter spotted the other occupant of the living room and descended into quiet staring, not that Sakura was doing much better as the petite woman waved awkwardly at the girl who's diaper's she used to change.

"Is that your mom?" Chocho had spotted Sakura as well now and raised the innocuous question to her friend causing a series of interesting reactions as Sarada spluttered and Sakura blushed blinking wide eyed.

"No. No! Who is she Sasuke?" Sarada shot at her father purposefully using his given name as she always did when she was upset. Of course she'd seen the photo's her father had of the woman, hanging out of him like oversized jewellery so she was immediately suspicious of a potential ex-girlfriend visiting.

"I guess you wouldn't remember, I'm Sakura. It's great to see you again." the pink haired woman, seriously again with the pink groaned Sarada herself. She had risen from the couch and offered an extended hand awkwardly to Sarada. The young Uchiha glanced at the hand and then to her father.

"Who is she Papa." restated the young girl crossing her arms as the woman deflated with an odd smile. Sarada couldn't have known how much of a splitting image to her father in his earlier days she'd cut for the pink haired woman.

"An old friend. We lived with her, when you were a baby." Sasuke answered wondering if he shouldn't have introduced the Haruno as Sarada's godmother. Technically she had been the first choice to raise Sarada after his accident but with Naruto having both a wife and a child near Sarada's age it had made more sense.

Sarada seemed to be calming down slightly but it didn't last once her friend spoke up an invisible light bulb seeming to click above her head.

"Oh so like, your step-mother?" Chocho offered up once again drawing anger and embarrassment from the rest of the room.

"She is not. We're going to my room, later Sasuke." Sarada offered sharply catching her friends wrist to lead them away from the awkward encounter leaving a rather nonplussed Sasuke and a mortified Sakura in her wake.

They still heard Chocho's attempt to apologize for confusing 'Mr Uchiha's girlfriend' for Sarada's mother before there was the slam of a bedroom door.

"That could have gone better." Sakura offered dryly settling herself back onto the sofa after her reunion with Sasuke's daughter. She mostly blamed herself, having failed to make a meaningful attempt to connect with the girl despite how close they had once been. She'd always had something as an excuse, between med-school and just getting grounded as a doctor; choosing for years birthday cards over visits.

It was sad though, to see the girl who'd mistakenly referred to her as 'Mama' for almost a year look at her like such a stranger. She could imagine how it had felt for Sasuke too, waking up.

"Could have went worse, ask Naruto." offered the dark man sitting down opposite her. Aided by her earlier impressions Sakura couldn't help imagine the young Uchiha girl glaring at her blonde friend calling him 'dobe'. She managed a small giggle.

"She really doesn't like the idea of a step-mother though, does she?" the Haruno probed regretting the question a second later when she realized how it may have sounded. Sasuke didn't remark of the suggestiveness though, simply shrugging and frowning.

"No, not that it matters anyway." he answered. The Uchiha had no real interest in beginning any kind of romantic relationship now or in the future. Even if he had though, it wasn't something he really knew how to pursue. Something inside him snarked that the one armed single parent couldn't exactly afford to wait for someone else to make the first move.

"It's natural for a young girl really, being possessive, even if you were a normal single parent. And she's only got you back recently so...ya." the pink haired doctor trailed off awkwardly again cursing how easily everything she seemed to say could be mis-interpreted. She'd only really gotten him back herself too in a way.

"I guess." returned Sasuke plainly. Sakura wondered if his thoughts were focused on his daughter upstairs.

"She must like someone though, like that new girlfriend of yours maybe?" started Sakura grinning cat like and leaning in toward her friend in hopes of some gossip, Sasuke's baffled expression didn't exactly scream intrigue though.

"I never said I had a girlfriend." the Uchiha dawdled fixing his friend a critical look. Sakura giggled awkwardly leaning back and throwing her hands up in defence. It did little to alleviate the Uchiha's intense expression.

"A little bird might have told me something, seeing you with a woman at a fun fair and going to some black tie affair." Sakura explained blushing slightly as one of Sasuke's eyebrows raised in agitation. She could already guess his next comment before he even said it.

"Do you have Ino stalking me then?" asked the Uchiha frowning. It was probably unfair to an extent, Ino was a gossip by nature so one didn't ask her to stalk someone as much as they just asked about the Yamanaka's stalking.

"She might have told me a few things, here and there." answered Sakura attempting to seem nonchalant and pretending that Sasuke wouldn't know that she'd hounded her blonde friend for every possible piece of information she could get on the mystery woman. Something Ino had been unusually quiet about.

"That was Hinata, the woman I was with." Sasuke informed her casually, subtly ignoring the pink haired woman when her jaw came unhinged at his words and she began stammering a response.

"H-Hinata, as in Hinata Hinata? D-does Naruto know?" green eyes stared unblinkingly at the Uchiha, a confused state not helped what so ever when Sasuke smirked at her.

"We took the kids to the funfair Sakura. We weren't on a date." mentioned the dark haired man happy to see a flush spread over his old friend's pale features followed by a bout of nervous laughter.

"Oh right, that make's a lot more sense." returned the relieved woman missing in her placated state that the Uchiha had only denied that the funfair had been a date not the black tie event.

"It's kind of hard to imagine you and Hinata taking the children out really, but I guess it's easier than you two all kissy kissy." continued Sakura mentally banishing that particular image the second she'd brought it up.

"Kissy kissy. You sound like you're twelve Sakura." shot the unimpressed Uchiha, neither of his friends had seemed to mature much despite being in their thirties now. Though sometimes he suspected they could have been doing that for his benefit, acting as they had before the accident. He'd been knocked out twenty eight and awoken thirty eight after all.

He doubted they did though, neither Naruto or Sakura were that subtle.

"You really think so? I've heard ten out of ten before but a twelve, you're so sweet." remarked the woman gloating to herself as Sasuke rethought his earlier assessment. The maturity of a twelve year old was giving Sakura far too much credit it seemed.

* * *

It was a surprisingly warm weekend and to make the most of the weekend's good weather they'd taken a small drive a couple of hours south seeking out crashing waves and somewhere that sold ice cream

The beach had been Sakura's idea, inviting Hinata had been Sarada's. It was odd that despite Sasuke having no input in the plan he had ended up the happiest with the situation sat between Sakura and Hinata with a good book watching his daughter beat Boruto in a sandcastle building competition...likely because Himawari had decided to play godzilla on Boruto's domain.

For her part Sakura was less than happy to have Hinata present at her beach day, despite how much she did adore Naruto's kids. Her unhappiness had only grown when the petite Hyuuga had revealed that years of motherhood had not had a negative impact on her figure, in fact Hinata in her one piece had earned the jaw unhinged look from Sasuke that the pinkette had been going for in her two piece. Still the Haruno had her ways.

Hawk like Sarada watched her father, Hinata and as she'd come to think of Sakura 'the interloper' exchange awkward small talk. She'd noticed pretty quickly that both Hinata and Sakura seemed to share a polite dislike of one another. It wasn't hostile exactly, more like a lack of affection between two overly familiar people that seemed unnatural.

The young Uchiha could imagine a few reasons. Maybe Sakura had been involved with Bolt and Himawari's father in the past, that seemed most likely but Sarada wasn't sure it wasn't Hinata that hadn't started their subdued feud. If Sakura had been helping Sasuke raise her as a baby, maybe Hinata had thought she was Sarada's mother, the gentle Hyuuga might have said something to her...unkind after the young Uchiha came into Naruto's custody.

It made Sarada feel momentarily guilty for her negative thoughts on the so far pleasant woman...up until she spotted the Haruno snatching up her sunblock and leaning over to her father a flirty smile creasing her features.

The sandcastle competition was completely abandoned.

"Can I help you miss Sakura?" a slightly breathless Sarada offered sharply reaching the pink haired woman and drawing her away from her father. Wide green eyes blinked back at her obviously confused as Sarada helped herself to the sunscreen.

"You can just call me Sakura, Sarada." offered the pink haired woman making Sarada feel another pang of guilt at her reaction. She didn't seem disappointed what so ever at being interrupted and instead seemed excited at the girl's attention.

"Okay sure. Why not. What are you reading? You can tell a lot about a person...from what they read I mean." the younger Uchiha was babbling, mostly because she was finding it really weird applying the sunscreen to the older woman's back. The celebrity magazine the woman had been reading seemed a good distraction.

"I guess so. Kind of gives my career away." the woman mentioned a little bashfully flipping over her health or maybe medical magazine, Sarada wasn't sure.

"What stuff do you like to read?" Sakura asked unwilling it seemed to let the young girl escape even after her job was done.

"A little of everything, but nothing like my pa- um Sasuke does." answered Sarada shooting the man in question's reading material a vaguely disgusted look. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate that Hemingway was important, but the girl had it firmly in the old person category of books.

"He's always been a little serious." remarked the pink haired girl with a smile earning a nod from Sarada as she realized that despite herself she was getting along well with Sakura. It was almost the kind of relationship she'd been expecting when she met her estranged mother, awkward and uneven but with that strange ease of people who were meant to know each other.

Sarada quietly realized that this woman may have actually been her mother in another life, before she'd imagined life with Karin but that had never really been on the cards. In reality without Sasuke's accident it would have been Sakura playing mother to her, she mightn't have even known.

"How...how come I didn't stay with you?" Sarada asked after a minute wondering now if that was why she'd taken to giving the woman such a hard time. It hurt to find out this almost mother of hers had only been there for Sasuke.

Sakura looked like she'd been slapped and neither noticed Hinata and the older Uchiha disappearing down the beach.

"Oh honey...I was. I wanted you to, of course I did but Naruto had a family, a nice family and a home and I was...We thought you'd be happier there." there was shame in the Haruno's voice, a woundedness as her lips quivered. They might have said more but the shouting down the beach shattered the moment and sent both running as Sasuke broke from the waves a small body in both arms.

"That's Himawari!" Sarada felt herself screeching as she tore down the beach stumbling and hitting the sand roughly in her run as she raced to her cousin's side. Sakura had reached her first putting her training to use and Sarada took it the anguish of the scene with a numb blankness.

No one seemed to breath until Himawari did spluttering up a lung full of water and allowing a much needed breath of air in. Hinata had snatched up Himawari a second later in a tight embrace tears clear in her eyes. Sarada moved closer nudging Boruto lightly as he cracked a shattered grin still pale and ashen.

"Oh baby, it's okay, Sasuke, thank you." both Uchiha were left blinking in equal shock as Hinata looped an arm around Sasuke's shoulders planting a frantic overjoyed kiss on the man before she returned to holding her confused daughter alternating between scolding her and thanking her stars.

Only Sarada noticed her father drifting backward his fingers going to touch his lips gently. He had possibly ruined another prosthetic arm diving in after Himawari but Sarada caught it anyway pulling close to her parent and resting her cheek on his bicep.

"It's okay Papa." whispered Sarada offering him a rare gentle smile.

* * *

Between his old friend making way too many perky attempts to connect with his daughter and said daughter getting upset at him for that Sasuke was having a tiring weekend. It wasn't that he didn't care for either of them, it was just that an over eager Sakura was a thing of nightmares and having Sarada upset at him hurt in a way he didn't want to brood on.

Maybe that was why he wasn't surprised when a knocking came at his door near two in the morning. It was probably Sakura and Naruto, the blonde having immediately returned under the impression they were having a reunion. They were lucky he'd been up late working.

Of course that earlier nonchalance ended when he opened the door to a hiccuping Hinata Hyuuga grinning up at him inanely.

"Hiya Sasuke." she greeted blinking her long eyelashes up at him as her smile dipped a small bit and revealed some of it's falseness to the Uchiha. He sighed and moved aside, a slight gesture for the petite woman to come in, which she attempted with some lopsided grace.

"S-sorry, I w-was um. I m-might be drunk." explained the pale woman looking giddily apologetic as the Uchiha shut the door and found himself pressed against Hinata as she stumbled a little and landed her shoulder against his chest giggling a little.

"I'd noticed that. What brought you here though?" asked Sasuke helping his friend into the living room before he let her collapse onto the couch. Idly the Uchiha watched the cute woman snuggle into the cushions of the couch making herself comfortable.

"T-Tenten. S-she dropped me here...for s-some r-reason." explained Hinata squinting herself in thought as she wondered just why her friend would leave her here instead. She abandoned her confusion quickly though in favor of a series of hiccups and further attempts to sink into the leather couch. It wasn't that easy though, leather couches weren't that good for cuddling on one's own.

"Water?" asked the Uchiha simply receiving a vigouros nod from his guest.

"I s-saw your l-light on so." explained the Hyuuga once she had her water gulping down the cool drink greedily before she started trying to dissipate her affliction, pinching her nose and holding her breath.

"I don't mind." answered the dark man, hoping to easy the Hyuuga's concerns about calling so late. It was a late thought though for Hinata as she'd spotted the packet of cigarettes on the coffee table, the same cigarettes Sasuke had bought at her sister's party but had yet to finish.

"Y-you s-smoke?" asked the woman reaching out to grab the offending item to examine closing. Internally Sasuke cursed at having left them out, it was lucky it was the Hyuuga noticing them and not Sarada...or Sakura, the pink toned doctor would give him an extended lecture if she were to spy them.

"Sometimes." answered Sasuke plainly, brushing his hair back in a quietly unsure gesture.

"'S not good. Y-you shouldn't s-smoke." remarked the pale eyed woman dropping the packet onto the coffee table again with a motherly frown. Sasuke felt himself smirking a little at the woman's mannerisms.

"No, I shouldn't." agreed Sasuke his smirk extending when Hinata nodded vigorously. The Hyuuga earned herself points for not descending into a lecture about his bad habit.

"C-cause they're b-bad, a-and it'll m-make your b-breath stink, a-and I um g-girls won't w-want to k-kiss you." the woman explained waging a finger at him in dismay, not that Sasuke was focused on that so much as what the woman had said.

"You won't want to kiss me?" asked the Uchiha crossing his fake and real arms over his chest. The image he struck though was very much in contrast to that of Hinata as she yelped blushing furiously.

"No, no. G-girl's won't want to k-kiss you. I'm n-not, w-well I am a g-girl but ah..." rambled Hinata throwing up her hands to aid her vehement denial. Then she hiccuped again and started groaning.

"Right, you don't want to kiss me." Sasuke spoke hoping to calm the woman a little bit before she started drawing Venn diagrams of herself, girls and girl's that might want to kiss the Uchiha to better illustrate her point.

"Uh-huh." hummed the Hyuuga nodding her head.

"Because I smoke." added Sasuke smirking and earning himself another nod from Hinata before she realized that particular implication. The Uchiha spoke again before another embarrassed denial could escape Hinata's puffy lips.

"Where are the kids anyway?" he asked snapping Hinata away from their strange conversation.

"O-oh, t-they're having s-sleepover's at f-friends." answered Hinata pouting a little and re-snuggling into the couch, though after a moment she abandoned the attempt to lie on the couch instead ignoring how close it placed her head to the Uchiha's lap.

The world was just a little wobbly right now so she needed to lie down.

"I see. So why are you so drunk then?" asked Sasuke after a moment deciding to abandon subtlety, the girl's almost fake smile on his doorstep and sorry state begged some investigation.

"V-vodka?" spoke up Hinata wiggling in her place and lifting herself to try and get more comfortable. The Uchiha sighed and shifted a little forcing Hinata to rest her head in his lap with a dangerously bright blush, softly he brushed her bangs aside to reveal her complete expression and pinned her with a look.

"Why, not how Hinata." He thought he'd sounded a little threatening with his words but from Hinata's point of view the entire experience was something else entirely and yet still terrifying. The Uchiha's voice had dipped dangerously as he spoke but his fingers were still near her temple radiating heat and her head was still cradled in the man's lap.

Suddenly she couldn't help thinking back to the kissing thing. She might need to make him smoke a little, that might help her _peculiar_ drunken thoughts on the man.

"Oh, it's j-just, N-naruto and S-sakura..." Hinata trailed off awkwardly, not wanting to explain that her ex-husband eagerly catching a flight home just to have dinner with her old romantic rival just kind of...stung. It made Hinata more and more certain that she'd never really won Naruto, he'd just settled for her. And only for a while.

Sasuke didn't say anything to her comment, he seemed unnaturally silent. Later Hinata would blame a combination of her ever low self esteem and the aforementioned vodka for what she said next.

"A-am I p-pretty Sasuke?" asked the pale woman staring up at the dark eyed man above her, it was an utterance she regretted immediately shutting her lips with a soft clap.

"What?" asked the Uchiha after a moment his dark eyes blazing down on her and drawing a shiver from Hinata as she half regretted the turn of her evening, the other half of her was shaking with excitement though and she knew that it was something just like this that she'd been hoping for when she had called on her newest friend.

"N-n-nothing, never mind..." shot Hinata too quickly, her eyes were still bright though and gleaming up at Sasuke waiting for an answer.

"You don't think you're attractive Hinata?" he asked realizing that he was wimping out in a way. It was a yes or no question that deserved to have received a simple answer. Only he was afraid of just what his honest answer might have been.

The disappointment in Hinata's eyes was painful though.

"I-I'm not...am I." the gentle woman told herself her eyes clouding as her lids dropped fractionally. The answer he hadn't wanted to say came bubbling in Sasuke's gut and he barely kept himself from simply blurting it out gritting his teeth and frowning. He took the time to brush Hinata's bangs out instead drawing her liquid eyes back up to him instead.

"You're very pretty Hinata." the Uchiha admitted wondering if she'd even believe him after the hesitation. She didn't...pulling herself up into a sitting position close to Sasuke one of her hands moving to linger on his hip as she stared at him serious despite her drunken state.

"Prove it." she whispered eyes shining resolutely.

* * *

Next chapter down, hope you guys are still reading. Let me know what you think on the character progress. I'm trying to get that Sarada is kind of messed up about the idea of a full family since Sasuke's been back, she keeps trying to imagine what her family would be like with Karin or Sakura or Hinata trying to get an idea of what 'normal' would be like. I think that was present in the Gaiden with her going after Sasuke and the mommy issues later.

R&R


	8. Chapt 7 The Hazards of Waking Up

Disclaimer; I don't own Naruto, the anime manga or any other aspect of it's media.

Title; The Hazard's of Waking Up

Chapter Seven;

* * *

It wasn't that she was hungover often, not at all really. But Hinata had been drunk enough times to recognize the throbbing pain behind her eyes as the beginnings of a likely really bad hangover.

So she did what any sensible person would do, she groaned lamenting her fate quietly and proceeded to bury her face back in her pillow. She also ignored how the pillow didn't exactly smell like hers usually did. She reasoned that it had to have been the new detergent, even if it was weird how it smelled suspiciously like men's cologne. Quite nice cologne actually, Hinata would need to get more of that detergent.

Fate was not on her side though, as if it ever had been as the bedroom door cracked open and soft footsteps padded into the bedroom. She stifled a low whine in her throat wondering just how the kids had gotten home so earlier, they weren't due back until two...of course with her hangover it actually could have been past two now.

"...Hinata?" a voice questioned, far too high for so early in the morning. It took until the usually sharp Hyuuga had freed herself from her impromptu pillow fortress to realize that the voice speaking to her was definitely not either Himawari or Bolt, it took until she was staring Sarada in her dark eyes to put it together.

"Sarada?...W-what are y-you doing here?" asked Hinata smiling slightly pained despite herself as she tried to comprehend what was happening. The Uchiha girl still had a key, Hinata had insisted on it nearly squeezing the life out of the girl in an embrace when she'd tried to return it.

"That's my question Hinata." remarked the young girl flashing the Hyuuga a grin very reminiscent of another Uchiha as she straightened out her pyjamas and climbed onto the bed herself. As she pulled herself further free from the covers Hinata made another strange discovery, namely that she had elected to wear her favourite dress to bed.

Also her covers were the wrong colour.

"You know you're in my house right Hinata, in my Papa's bed?" Sarada offered dangerously close to sing-song as she grinned at Hinata, her expression shifted more into worry though when the Hyuuga's eye's widened dramatically and she fell back into the covers tugging them up over her nose.

"S-s-sasuke's B-b-bed!?" stammered Hinata her mind reeling as a memory made itself known to her. Namely of her own voice whimpering a needy 'Prove it' and a certain dark haired man looming above her just before he...

"D-dress still on, d-dress still on." muttered Hinata to herself shaking her head as Sarada watched the woman's mild breakdown with rapt attention.

"Yeah that's actually a little weird, you should have worn one of Papa's shirts to sleep. I stole his red one to sleep in...don't tell him though." Sarada shared with the mortified woman doing entirely nothing to help her cause. Hinata simply let out a delicate squeak blushing furiously at her thoughts...mostly because she already knew exactly which shirt she'd want to steal to sleep in.

"S-Sarada I-I'm not, w-what I m-mean is. Y-you shouldn't um." Hinata wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to say but she was becoming increasingly aware that she was still cuddling the Uchiha's duvet. With a reluctant languish she pulled herself out from the warm covers finding her shoes neatly set aside as Sarada tried to make sense of what the Hyuuga meant.

"Oh I understand, we should keep you and Papa quiet right?" the young Uchiha reasoned pouting, she could understand why Hinata wouldn't want Naruto or Sakura knowing. Or Himawari, Hinata would probably break it to her easily.

"W-we're n-not...Y-yes, we s-should keep it q-quiet." Hinata answered after a moment fighting off the urge to simply cry to herself about the situation for awhile.

"Still this is great! I-I mean like, you and Papa together. It's great!" the young girl celebrated to herself rocking herself and grinning cheerfully. It was such an honestly gleeful reaction from the normally reserved girl that Hinata felt her stomach twisting itself into a thousand knots.

She'd been thinking of how to explain what had happened to Sarada every way except when confronted with excitement, how she'd explain a one night stand to one of her own children if they caught her on a walk of shame. Hinata hadn't been expecting Sarada to be so enthusiastic, and all her original explanations became obsolete.

Hinata didn't even know how Sasuke felt, he had kissed her...or she'd kissed him. There had been a lot of kissing anyway, good kissing but then her drinking had caught up on her and she'd...needed the restroom. It was hard to decipher someone's feelings like that, was the Uchiha holding her hair back a positive sign, was giving her his bed one? She blushed as she wondered if he'd joined her but just awoken before she had.

"W-well h-honey. Y-your d-dad and I, we'll have to t-talk a-about all that." Hinata offered gently cringing when the girl's glee took a clear hit, her dimples vanishing as the smile became much more fragile.

"Of course, I mean yeah. Are you staying for breakfast?" Sarada asked hesitantly tugging at the Hyuuga's heart strings more than she could know. In honesty Hinata had been considering escape routes, climbing out the window had it's pros and cons but it mostly came down to either the front door or the back door.

"I g-guess I c-could stay for c-coffee." Hinata found herself answering, picking up her heels and trying to straighten out her dress so it looked at least a little less slept in...not that she had much success. At the very least she knew she wouldn't be able to eat anything for awhile.

"Cool." Sarada cheered brightening back up immediately as she hopped off the bed pulling a lightly protesting Hinata along with her. The Hyuuga still had major concerns, like potential panda eyes from her mascara and slightly less pressingly just what she'd say to Sasuke.

It hadn't been Sasuke she had needed to worry about though she realized once she reached to bottom of the stairs. The front door clicked open to allow entry to another pair, equally as hungover as Hinata felt. Only Sarada remained remotely relaxed as pale eyes met bright blue and green.

"Hinata?" Naruto croaked stiffly echoed by his pink haired friend as they stared at the Hyuuga with her heels in her hands, with her messy bed-hair and crinkled dress. For her part Hinata wanted the earth to swallow her up, the deeper the better she thought. But whatever else she thought of the man these days she was Hiashi Hyuuga's daughter and that had left it's mark.

Hinata straightened herself up nobly, squaring her shoulders and raising her chin. She took a moment to rub Sarada's shoulder and offer the girl a smile and a soft excuse before she turned back to the gaping duo.

"Naruto, Sakura." the Hyuuga greeted in her best impression of her father nodding to both as she strode past them. It wasn't until she heard the door shutting behind her and she was sure no one could see her that Hinata let her shoulders sag and she took off down the road to her own home her mind buzzing brokenly.

* * *

He wasn't a morning person, Sasuke would be the first to admit that much. But even then there were good ways and bad ways to start a morning. Being awoken to two high pitched voices arguing in confused whispered shouts went on the list of bad ways, and discovering his daughter sat munching away on cereal watching said argument with rapt attention only made it worse.

"Morning Papa." greeted the girl her legs curled beneath her on the armchair as she watched Naruto and Sakura bickering through the alcove that lead to the kitchen. The older Uchiha blinked his sleep filled eyes for a few moments rubbing his hair from his eyes as he returned the greeting.

"Don't argue in front of my daughter." The dark haired man chastised his friends rising from the couch and making his way for the kitchen. He had a feeling what might have sparked the spirited debate but he wasn't ready to deal with it until he had some coffee in him.

"Hinata didn't stay for breakfast." Sarada offered up as she sat up and followed him into the kitchen. Idly Sasuke couldn't escape the impression the girl was following him to back him up in some weird form of protectiveness, that much at least uprooted his bad mood more than a little and cracked his scowl.

"You slept on the couch?" Sakura asked smiling a little and shooting the still clearly agitated Naruto a some look. Sasuke did little more than shrug as he clicked his treasured coffee maker to life.

"And Hinata was here, why?" but in the Uzumaki folding his arms in an almost sulking manner, Sasuke would have answered but Sarada beat him to the punch.

"She spent the night, obviously." the younger Uchiha offered up throwing Naruto a condescending look of sorts.

"Well yeah, but, I mean why?" amended Naruto sheepishly. Most of his ire seemed to vanish with the more obvious presence of an impressionable mind, or it could have been Sakura elbowing him in the side.

"We'll talk about that later." The Uchiha returned taking a seat next to his daughter as the coffee machine hummed with life. The callous response though seemed to reignite some of Naruto's annoyance as he frowned darkly his brow screwing up tight.

"The fu- What's that supposed to mean?" grunted the Uzumaki releasing a pitched whine as Sakura elbowed him again cutting off his near curse. Sasuke just shrugged again though, not even remotely certain what he did mean by that.

Ideally he would have liked to talk to the Hyuuga herself about just what happened last night before he figured out just what he was supposed to be apologizing for. As it stood he didn't know himself what it had meant, and what it meant bore a lot of relevance to how he'd approach Naruto with it.

"Um Papa, Hinata wanted to keep you two quiet for now...just so you know." Sarada had leaned in to whisper her advice but Naruto's keen hearing had picked most of it up anyway. The look on the blonde's face clearly announced that he had and Sasuke forced himself to stifle a groan.

"You two?" Sakura spoke up her green eyes slightly wide, undoubtedly remembering her own early suspicions. Sasuke climbed out of the chair though deciding it was time for less delicacy. He'd never been good at it anyway.

"We'll talk outside Naruto." ordered the brunette giving his almost finished coffee a last look of longing before he lead the way to the back garden. It wasn't a large garden by any standards, barely anything really but the solid door clicking behind both men ensured that at least their conversation would be private.

Unless it devolved into a shouting match of course.

"Seriously Sasuke, explain this to me because I...I just have no idea what to think right now." the blonde offered almost gently after a moment seemingly forcing himself to calm down and even out his breathing. Blithely the Uchiha suspected that the calm wouldn't last all that long.

"Hinata was out with a friend, she turned up here late. She was drunk and upset." started the Uchiha folding his own arms as he went on a pre-emptive attack.

"Upset?" murmured the blonde blinking in confusing.

"Something about you returning to see Sakura, or at least that's how she saw it." snapped Sasuke wondering if it was a good idea to be so sharp given the rest of the story.

"But I, I mean it wasn't just to see Sakura." offered the sheepish blonde effectively scolded it seemed.

"Tell that to her, not me Uzumaki. Anyway, she wasn't in her right state of mind exactly...she kissed me, threw up and passed out." he'd muttered most of the end but as he knew he would Naruto had easily heard the most important part and locked onto it.

"You kissed her?" he paraphrased some of his earlier anger flashing in his eyes again. Sasuke considered correcting him, that he hadn't initiated anything. But he sort of had, the first kiss had been most certainly mutual and he hadn't considered stopping it even once.

"Yeah." the Uchiha let the words ghost out awaiting a reaction that didn't come, instead of taking a swing at him or shouting Naruto had went suddenly pensive his lips pursing tightly.

"And what's that mean then?" asked the Uzumaki his expression clouded and unreadable.

"I don't know." The Uchiha answered honestly sighing to himself, somehow he missed the blonde moving until his knuckles connected with Sasuke's cheek sending the Uchiha stumbling.

"The hell do you mean you don't know! You kissed Hinata and you don't know?" raged Naruto his breathing ragged as he twisted his arms around his torso in a frantic display of emotion, Sasuke shoved him back with a glare.

"I don't know what it means to her idiot. She was drunk, she mightn't even want to talk about it." Sasuke growled back rubbing his cheek with the back of his good hand and pinning the blonde with an angry look. The Uzumaki at least deflated a little.

"Well okay, I guess. But Hinata's not like that you know, if she did something she meant it." responded Naruto evenly despite his earlier start. The Uchiha doubted it though and let that show with a frown.

"Why would she Naruto." he answered honestly. This was the Hyuuga after all, a woman he could still remember trailing after his blonde friend silently for years and more than that she was nothing like the women he'd been involved with before. She was soft and gentle, maybe not fragile but nothing like the temperamental sort he'd always found himself drawn to before now.

"What am I, a mind reader? You'll have to ask her bastard. But if this is something, I mean something something then you should man up!" put in the blonde earning himself a glare as he leaned against the closed door barring any exit from the awkward exchange.

"Wouldn't that bother you, Naruto?" asked the Uchiha suspicious at his friends change. He had sucker punched him just a moment ago, this understanding side was confusing even by the Uzumaki's general standards.

"Well, of course it would. It bothers me to see her with anyone, but that's all primal lizard brain shit. I know she's got to move on with someone sometime. I mean, I did." continued the blonde his round features creasing up as if he'd eaten something less than pleasant but felt he had to finish.

"You're with someone now?" asked Sasuke wondering how long the blonde might have kept that from him otherwise.

"Sort of...but don't change the subject bastard. What I mean is, if Hinata does move on with someone I need to know they're good for her. And the kids...and that is gonna be so weird." some of the seriousness seemed to drop out of Naruto as the mental image of Sasuke trying to be a stepfather or honorary uncle to his children settled into his mind, it should have bothered him but he couldn't help just finding it funny.

"So you'd be alright with it? If anything were to happen between me and Hinata." Sasuke asked waiting again just in case putting it into words upset his friend. The unsettling grin that drew over Naruto's features was much worse though.

"Yeah, I mean as long as you don't hurt her, or try getting my kids to call you 'papa'. But you'd better spoil them rotten too. Or I'll kick your ass!" ranted the Uzumaki this time playfully tapping the Uchiha in the arm with his knuckles.

"That's fair, I suppose." admitted Sasuke reluctantly not arguing the ass kicking point.

"And you need to make Sarada be nice to me! That death glare of hers if terrifying." continued Naruto less seriously drawing a wiry grin from his dark friend.

"I'm not a miracle worker, but there is something you could do..." returned Sasuke allowing his chapped lips to crook into a grin that seemed more a predatory smirk, the inoculated Uzumaki didn't seem to notice it though reaching for the door handle.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" asked the blonde almost carefree. There was still a lingering in the back of his mind, an urge to warn off Sasuke from doing anything and to keep his hands to himself but he knew it was ultimately Hinata's choice how things went from here. He'd lost the right to meddle any more than he already had a long time ago.

"Visit Karin with us, Sarada wants to see her somewhat regularly." explained the Uchiha watching as his friend's face drained of most of its colour quite rapidly. Naruto had been close to Karin in their youth the same way he had been close to Sasuke himself, it tended to involve a lot of bickering and name calling from both parties. But once the woman had taken a turn for the worse much like Naruto's own mother...

"Em you know, I kind of just visited her and...well." bubbled the blonde pausing still just outside the doorway.

"I checked the registry, you haven't seen her in years." corrected Sasuke more than a little unhappily. It had been disheartening when he'd signed himself and Sarada into the hospital book to see that the name just before it was his own from before his accident.

"Shit. I mean really, do I have to?" moaned Naruto pushing into the kitchen and ignoring Sakura's expectant look, he'd worry about explaining that later. For the moment they were fine and that was enough.

"Yes." growled his friend following him inside and tilting his head in confusion when Sarada immediately scurried up to him almost as if she were checking him over for injuries. He really hoped she hadn't over heard anything.

* * *

He felt like a creep.

In any other situation he'd have called it quits by now. He'd rung the doorbell, seen the woman's shadow appear through the frosted glass and then he could almost swear he'd heard a feminine squeak before the same shadow had vanished back further into the house.

Maybe he should have given her a few more days, but leaving it unresolved was driving him crazy so he'd called over once Sarada had been sent on her way to school.

"Hinata, can we just talk?" he tried feeling stupid as he spoke to the door's blank gray glass. Another five minutes and he really would have to call it quits before some concerned neighbour decided to call the cops.

The shadow reappeared but the door still didn't open so hissing a breath through his teeth Sasuke tried again.

"I just want to talk about it, to clear the air Hinata." he cursed the way he said her name, the way he'd been saying it since his talk with Naruto. Once that obstacle was gone he'd suddenly found it impossible to think a spare thought without the Hyuuga drifting into his mind. Earlier impressions and thoughts of the woman seemed tainted now that he knew what her lips felt like.

He said her name possessively, with a shaky need that he hadn't felt in a long time.

The door clicked and swung open slowly revealing Hinata bit by bit. She was dressed in a long sleeve cream top and black jeans her hair set in a low ponytail, her hands were clenched at her waist and her eyes were set on her feet painting an image of a beautiful woman, but one awaiting reprisal. It didn't sit well with the Uchiha.

"Can I come in?" He asked gently drawing the woman's eyes up to his own, she really had been expecting something harsher it seemed as the confusion swam in her eyes and she nodded slowly. He followed her at a respectful distance out of his depth when it came to comforting or reassuring such a self conscious introverted soul.

"I'm sorry." she spoke sharply turning so quickly that Sasuke almost walked into her. It drew him closer to her than he'd meant to be but he couldn't bring himself to move back either.

"Sorry, what...no why are you sorry Hinata?" he returned wrong footed. He should have just been demanding to know whether she'd meant the kiss or not, but that seemed entirely too hostile an approach.

"F-for everything. C-calling late, t-throwing up and taking y-your b-bed. And e-everything else." she answered her eyes drifting down again as she tugged the fingers of one of her hands with the other.

"What about kissing me?" he asked his voice dipping unintentionally as he watched her pale features staining bright red, she didn't move away though.

"Um t-that was..." she started and he knew instinctively that she was going to just apologize for it and try to brush it away. Naruto had been right, he needed to man up and make the first move for once.

"I don't regret it Hinata, I just wish you'd have been sober so I could know you meant it." he cut her off watching as her chin immediately raised, her eyes bright and confused as her soft lips parted wordlessly to mouth a forgotten sentence.

"That's what I want to know Hinata, if you thought that was a mistake." he clarified again suddenly aware of the proximity. The room was filled with cool autumn air but he could feel the heat drifting off the other warm body as the Hyuuga shook her head.

"Y-you don't m-mean that, I k-know y-you don't Sasuke." she seemed more like she was trying to convince herself than him in any meaningful way. She was still flushed and breathless and the Uchiha wondered if kissing her now would convince her he was being honest or ruin what he was trying to achieve.

"Why wouldn't I Hinata?" he asked huskily cursing his own voice that betrayed him only in his own ears, he couldn't help but hear every undercurrent in his tone that revealed the depth of his feelings.

"It's j-just p-pity, i-isn't it? I'm j-just me. I'm nothing s-special." she answered after a drawn out moment wringing her fingers some more as Sasuke realized she was just as self conscious as he had been, maybe more so. Something about her despairing brushed him the wrong way though and he fixed the girl a glare.

He was not a liar.

"You're an idiot. A wonderful damned gorgeous idiot." growled out the Uchiha startling Hinata with his aggressive insulting compliments. He took her chin in his good hand before she could say anything.

"And you are very damn special Hinata Hyuuga." she might have objected if he'd given her the chance but before Hinata could find her words the dark man had dipped forward pressing his lips over her own softly.

It was a short kiss but it had said a lot. When they pulled away Hinata's pale eyes were half lidded as she cast her gaze from the Uchiha's own lips up to his eyes, he was smirking down at her like some kind of satisfied cat and Hinata knew this was no act of pity. Lust shun in his dark eyes, passion and desire that she couldn't imagine faked but did cause her to blush prettily again.

"O-okay s-so then, where do we go f-from here?" asked the woman still unsure of herself, almost more unsure of herself now that they'd kissed again absent liquor. There were still plenty of potential problems with what was going on between them that a simple kiss couldn't fix.

"Can I take you out, for dinner?" asked the Uchiha still high off the feel of the Hyuuga's lips on his own.

"D-dinner? I guess I could c-cook, maybe Friday?" the thought had Hinata smiling shyly, it would be their first real date not counting the outings with their children or her sister's engagement party.

"No. I want to take you out properly Hinata...dinner at a nice restaurant and, whatever else people do on dates." announced Sasuke tempted to plant another kiss on the blushing girl. He wasn't really certain what people did on dates anymore, or what someone his age was meant to do. The last time he had dated, going to a grunge gig in some dive bar and Burger King afterwards was a perfectly acceptable evening.

Though seeing the Hyuuga in a denim skirt and fishnets, dancing to some noisy band certainly held an interesting appeal.

"H-how about you handle the r-restaurant, and I'll get u-us tickets to a s-show." offered Hinata her eyes crinkling a little as she enjoyed the division of labour. She'd appreciated dates where she was led around for the effort involved put in but this seemed like a much better way to start between them, mutual shared control.

"Okay." agreed Sasuke readily smirking down at the woman he was now involved with. Where Hinata had been considering the equality of the shared responsibility Sasuke couldn't help but see it as a challenge, not in a 'the man' should decide everything kind of way but rather more like a contest. To see who could impress the other more with their half of the evening.

"Okay...can I k-kiss you again?" Hinata offered after a moment indulging her body's constant demands to mark her new territory. The Uchiha dipped again but she started the kiss this time surging up on her toes as she laced her fingers behind his neck. This time as their lips met it was a full embrace, her body mending against his as they wrapped one another in a tight embrace their eyes shut tight.

* * *

Okay that's us almost at the end of our story now. Only one more chapter, I think, to go though that might be split into a chapter and an epilog depending on how long it gets drawn out. Hope everyone's enjoyed up to now and have a good weekend.

R&R


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